Tikka Archer
by Xiah-sensei
Summary: Tikka had been hidden by her family for years. That all changed when the right-hand man of King Murgon comes with the idea of selling her to the highest bidder. What will Tikka do? But is there more to Nikre than she first believes? R&R mainly my own OCs.
1. I'm Not Blind, All the Time

**A/N: **

**Tikka IS a teenager (around that age). And Nikre is in his early 30's. **

**Also, I will include some of the original Graceling characters ;)**

**Thanks for your reviews peoples ;D**

**Prologue **

My family and I hated the Seven Kingdoms; Nander, Wester, Estill, Middluns, Sunder, Monsea, and Lienid. Our solitude was well known throughout the lands but we were not feared. Many raiding parties targeted the watch-tower fortress that was our home. We belonged no where and were feared by no one.

**Chapter 1 – I'm not blind… all the time**

"If they don't stop that they will most likely kill each other." My sister, Flore said one day as we watched our brothers, Nathaniel and Maximum, fighting relentlessly.

"True. Should we stop them?" I asked.

Flore smiled, "It's not like they would listen if we did try to part them."

She continued with her embroidery. I rolled my eyes at her. How anyone could stand _embroidery_ I don't know.

We were sitting on a large blanket on a beautiful grassy hill side. My family and I lived in a valley filled with forests and rivers. Our brothers and father had no trouble finding dinner in those forests and sometimes I was able to join them with my bow.

There was a dirt track that led up the side of the hill toward our fortress. Over the years the house was transformed into a watch-tower fortress because of the excessive raiding parties that came our way frequently.

Suddenly I became aware of a man on horseback riding up the dirt track toward us. I gasped and stood.

Flore looked up at me startled and tried to look at where I was staring.

"What is it Tikka? What is it?" She asked urgently. She couldn't see the man. He was too far away for her eyes to register the movement.

"A man. Riding up the hill. I don't think he's armed."

"Nathan! Max!" Flore yelled to the two young men still sparring on the side of the hill. They stopped what they were doing, probably hearing the urgency in Flore's voice. Flore motioned for them to come closer and they jogged over glancing around nervously.

When they were in speaking distance Nathan asked, "What is it? What's wrong?"

I pointed down the hill. The man had just made it to the base of the hill and now my brothers and sister could see him though not very well.

"Is he armed?" Max asked. "Is he from Estill?"

I stared at the man's clothes. Purple tunic and grey trousers. "No. He wears a purple tunic and grey trousers. Not the clothing of a thug from the Estill court."

Nathan tugged at my sleeve. "We need to get you inside."

"There's no time. He already sees us. All of us. If I go running up the Fortress he'll be suspicious, whoever he is."

Flore nodded in agreement, "Yes. Tikka's right. She's blind to everyone outside of this valley, is she not? The man will not suspect she is a Graceling."

Nathan and Max still looked uncertain but Max said, "It's too late to act natural. We'll need to be suitably suspicious now or he might see we are hiding something."

Nathan nodded, "Yes, we should go and greet him and then go and tell father. He can deal with this man."

We approached the rode at a leisurely pace, even though we were tense and ready for a fight.

I closed my eyes as the man approached and placed a hand on Flore's arm. We couldn't risk this man seeing my eyes. He would recognise what I was immediately.

By the sound of the horse's hooves on the dirt track I could tell that the man was slowing his horse to a stop as he reached us.

I heard the underside of boots hit the ground and the _clomp, clomp, clomp_ of said boots walking toward us.

Closing my eyes my awareness was always heightened. I could hear the rustle of the leaves in the trees at the forest at the base of the hill. Hear each and every one of my family breathing, including the stranger. The _clomping_ sound stopped and there was silence. It was eerie.

"Good day for sparring, don't you think?" The man said his voice deep and amused.

"Yes I should think so." Nathan replied but his voice was strained. Why was that? Nathan was normally fearless. What did the man really look like? Hold on, how could the man have known they were sparring, it was too far away for a mortal to see! I didn't like the way this was going.

"I wish to speak to the owner of the mines. Your father I believe. I have some _urgent_ business needs that his immediate attention."

I felt a vibration run along Flore's arm, "Ye – yes, of course. We would be happy to show you to him. He is in his study."

I didn't understand why my younger siblings were acting so polite and afraid. I couldn't see this man but surely he couldn't look so menacing to scare my younger brothers? I would have thought that impossible. Now I was beginning to feel edgy.

I felt someone fall into step beside me as Flore led me up to the Fortress.

"I see you are blind, my dear." The man purred. I flinched.

"Yes." I answered trying to keep my voice even.

"Such a shame. I am sure you have beautiful eyes. Would you show them to me?"

"I'm afraid I can't. The light hurts my eyes." I muttered.

"But, my dear, you are blind. The light shouldn't affect your eyes." He said gently, a smirk evident in his voice.

I swallowed hard. What have I done?

Then Nathan spoke trying to take his attention away from me for a while. "So what business was it that you intend to discuss with our father?"

I felt the man turn his attention way from me and I sighed in relief. "That is for me to discuss with him in person. Not with his children." He sneered.

Judging by the amount of time we had been walking I guessed we should be at the fortress gates by now. Flore stopped us and I heard Nathan and Max open the huge wooden doors. I was led into the Fortress by Flore and once we had ascended some marble steps leading up to the main entrance Flore spoke to the other men. "I'm afraid we must leave you now. Mother is expecting us." It was a good enough excuse I guess.

"Then farewell, ladies. I hope we meet again." He purred.

_And I hope not_, I thought as Flore led us into a room to the right of the grand entrance hall.

I opened my eyes and found myself in the armoury. Flore felt most comfortable here. She probably had booby-traps all over the place. She sat herself down with a huff at a large metal work bench and continued threading tiny metal rings through some half-finished chainmail.

"Seeing as you're the eldest I would've thought you would be a little more thoughtful. Now he is obviously suspicious of you."

I shrugged indifferently glancing around the room at the various weapons that lined the walls, my gaze landing on a long bow. "If he is suspicious I will kill him."

Flore snorted. "You can't solve everything by killing, Tikka. It's wrong."

"No, my dear sister, it's me. I was born to kill. My Grace gives me impossible eyesight, impossible aim and swiftness with a bow. I am agile in battle and I can destroy an army with a bow and a quiver even without arrows."

Flore pursed her lips. "It is not for you to decide who lives and who dies. You were not born to kill Tikka, you were born for battle. Those two are completely different. Never use you Grace to kill whoever you please because you're wrong."

I'd never thought that my Grace was for battle. But I suppose she was right. Other Gracelings that were born with exceptional battlefield skills and reflexes must be for wars not killing.

"I think you might have a point." I said reluctantly. When did my little sister get wiser than me?

Flore smiled, "You know I'm right."

I thought about the stranger, "Was he a Graceling? The stranger?"

Flore hesitated when she was just about to thread another white metal ring. "Yes, he was." She hesitated again and slid the metal ring through the chainmail. "He had one red eye and one yellow eye."

I gasped. This couldn't be the man she was thinking of, could it? The right hand man of the Sunder king Murgon? We had heard stories of this man when we were little. He was invincible. No man could ever beat him in battle. He had impenetrable skin, diamond hard.

"How could it be _him,_ _the _Nikre? What does_ Murgon _want with our father?"

Flore shrugged, "Probably to do with money. That's what I think. You know King Murgon of Sunder. He's got gold on the brain."

I laughed. "I do hope that's all it is."


	2. Busted!

**Chapter 2 – busted!**

I set the comb on my dressing table a sighed in annoyance at my reflection in the mirror.

I didn't want to wear make-up but we had _guests_. Guests from Sunder to be precise. I was nervous. Very nervous indeed. Nikre would be there, and he knew, he knew I wasn't blind. Had he told Murgon? Of course he had. He was his trusted right-hand-man. That just made this even worse. My father had suggested I pretend I was ill, but my mother advised him against it. It would just make things worse than they already were.

Plus, I had never tried eating with my eyes closed and was afraid they would see my inexperience.

I stared at the girl in the mirror. Black hair, pale skin, I would be the perfect vision of wifey goodness, if I didn't have one hot, pink eye and one dark green eye. They made me look lopsided. One side of my face bright, the other dark.

I wore a plain green dress. The neck line wasn't low and the skirt very long. I think my mother was trying to keep men's eyes from wandering. The sleeves of the dress came to my wrists.

I stood and walked onto the first floor, I checked no guest had wandered off so I didn't have to act blind.

I walked down the stairs to find Flore with a little girl holding her hand, my little sister, Dahlia. Dahlia was nine and was wearing a simple blue dress, her black hair was brought up into a tight bun. Her eyes were two different colours also, one light blue and one lilac. She had beautiful eyes.

Flore looked completely different from Dahlia and me. She wore a bright red dress with a long skirt, low neckline and no sleeves.

"You didn't need to do this Flore." I said my voice strained. I understood now. Make one of the eldest daughters irresistible while the others are plain.

She shook her head defiantly though she looked pale and a little frightened, "It'll be fine. It will take their attention away from you two."

I sighed.

"They won't be interested in me. I'm so small and my Grace is pathetic. Why would they want a little girl who can speak to rabbits? It's useless."

I felt sorry for her. She did have a unique and slightly useless Grace. The Gracelings with a useless Grace don't get bothered. Me however… they might be interested in.

I heard the door to the great hall open and several voices getting nearer. I closed my eyes and took Dahlia's other hand. I still hadn't mastered walking blind yet.

"My dears!" Our father called but I could hear a slight hitch in his voice. He was afraid too. "You're ready! Let us proceed to the dining room then shall we, I'm sure our chef has cooked up a storm in the kitchen." He said with a hearty laugh. But it didn't fool us.

"Of course." Said the same slimy, deep voice I remembered from a few days before. Nikre.

All the way through dinner I could feel his eyes on me. Nikre that is. He knew. I just knew, he knew. Nathan and Max didn't seem comfortable about his glances in my direction from what Dahlia told me.

My father and Nikre talked for most of the meal. No one took any notice of me apart from that insufferable man talking with my father, who I could feel kept glancing at me.

Dahlia and I sat a quietly as possible while Flore flirted with the other men Nikre had brought with him this time. Nathan and Max didn't seem to be comfortable with that either. I concentrated on my food willing myself to taste what I was putting into my mouth, but I couldn't.

I was dreading the time after the meal.

Later that evening I was sitting with Flore and Dahlia in Flore's sitting room. Flore was stitching something and Dahlia was drawing something that looked like a large blue blob, Dahlia divulged to us that it was indeed a large blue blob, much to our amusement. I was reading but I didn't really see the words on the page. A knock came at the door and I jumped. This was it.

"Tikka, would you join me out here please with Nikre." My father's muffled voice called.

Flore and Dahlia both looked at me in concern. "I'll be fine." I whispered to them.

I walked to the door closed my eyes and opened it. I stepped out into the hall and there was silence as I shut the door quietly behind me.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, My Lady." Nikre purred taking my hand and kissing my knuckles.

I tensed automatically. "The pleasure is mine." I muttered.

He let my hand fall back to my side tingling in a weird way. I didn't like it.

"Now that your daughter is here I would like to continue our conversation elsewhere." Nikre said his voice suddenly taking on a business like tone.

"Of course, of course." My father said. "Please follow me."

My father touched my arm, "Ah, allow me." Nikre purred and took my arm in his. I was not comfortable with this.

Nikre led me into a room on the ground floor and we stopped. He released my arm and told me to sit. So I did.

"I'm afraid some rumours have reached the Sunderan court of a Graced girl at the Neen Fortress but it seems that the Grace girl they speak of is a lot younger than Tikka, am I correct?" Nikre began his tone back to businesslike.

"That is correct. Our youngest daughter, Dahlia, is Graced. Her eyes are more subtle than many Gracelings. Not many notice what she is at first."

"I see." Nikre murmured. "So, if I were to claim that Tikka here is Graced you would think me mad, would you not?"

"Of course!" My father cried feigning shock. "My eldest is not a Graceling! She is merely blind! She has been since birth!"

I didn't think that Nikre would buy the excuse. I was right.

"So, you wouldn't have anything to worry about, would you, if I asked her to show me her eyes?

My father faltered. He must have seen this coming. He must have an excuse. _Please have an excuse_, I prayed. I should have known better.

"As I thought." Nikre said. I felt his gaze on me once more. "Show me your eyes, child."

"Don't Tikka." I heard my father warn. But it was too late for that.

I opened my eyes and glared at Nikre. His smirk faltered slightly. I didn't understand why but I didn't care. I wasn't going to be taken to the Sunderan court and used. No, they would have to make me.

I ran from the room ripping my skirt off as I ran down the corridor to the entrance hall. I ran into Flore's armoury and grabbed my bow and quiver and the white chainmail she had been making earlier. I threw the chainmail over my head and the quiver and stood at the door with my bow drawn, aiming at Nikre's chest. The rest of my family where in the hall now, my brothers holding off Nikre's armed men and the girls staring at the scene terrified. My father was standing behind Nikre his eyes haunted and sad. I had blown it for everyone. I was a goner. But I wasn't going to go down without a fight.

Nikre's horrible red and yellow eyes stared into mine. It didn't faze me.

"Now Tikka, calm down. We don't want anyone to get hurt now, do we?"

"Oh, I don't know, right now I'd really like to run you through with an arrow. That would be fun." I sneered glaring at him.

He lunged at me then, I let my arrow fly at his chest but it merely rebounded off and clattered on the floor. He laughed and lunged toward me again. I ducked and rolled out of his grasp, whacking him on the head with my bow. I stood swiftly and noticed him cursing and rubbing his head. _Good_, I thought, _If I can't kill him I can at least make him hurt._

I took another swipe at his head but he grabbed my bow and twisted it around my back I cried out as my arm almost broke.

I could feel his breath in my ear, "You should never have challenged me, My Lady. I wanted this to be quick and easy. Now I see that you will not let that happen. I will have to force you."

I whimpered as he pulled tighter on my arm. "Your Grace isn't helping you much, is it? That is such a shame. I expected a fight." He hissed in my ear and twisted my arm a little more. Just as I thought my arm would break I threw my head back and caught him in the forehead. He staggered back letting go of my arm. I ran away from him then turned back. I notched four arrows and fired them in a line down his body. One caught him in his neck, the other on his chest, another on his stomach and the last in his groin. He stumbled back again, winded. The arrows might not penetrate but they did hurt him. I kept hitting him with arrows, my speed never decreasing. I had always notched another arrow as the first was midway to its target. Some of the arrows he deflected with his hands but most of them found their mark, making him stagger around and lose his footing.

All too soon I ran out of arrows. Nikre got back to his feet and sneered at me. "Aw, has the little archer run out of arrows. What a pity."

I hadn't planned on doing anything after the 'hitting him with arrows' part. He ran at me his hands going to his sheathed knives. I had no time to think of a plan. I dodged his first attempted to pin me and thwacked him upside the head with my bow. He rubbed his jaw moaning. I thought he was injured and lowered my bow just a little. At the speed of sound Nikre grabbed my bow and pulled me toward him, I dropped the bow but it was too late. He grabbed at me and secured his arm around my arms and my waist. He snapped my bow in two as if it were a twig.

"Now, will you come quietly or do I have to ask my friends to… erm… help you decide?"

I glanced at my family. Nathan and Max were in a bloody heap on the floor but they did manage to take down 3 Sunder soldiers. My father put himself between the guards and the women as the rest of the soldiers closed in on them.

"Okay." I whispered.

I could almost feel Nikre grin. "What was that?"

Man, I really hated this guy. "I said, 'Okay'. If you don't hurt my family anymore then you already have, I'll go with you."

"Good, good. That's what I like to hear." He wrapped his other arm around me and held me close to him. I felt dirty just by him touching me.

"Release them. We will take the Graceling. Come." He suddenly released me from the disgusting embrace. I sighed in relief only to be pulled close to his side so we could walk and he could still hold me. I cringed away and Nikre could tell how uncomfortable this made me, in other words, he loved it.

The guards followed us out into the crisp night air. Everything seemed so much darker now, more than it should have been at twilight.

As we walked toward their horses my extremely sensitive hearing couldn't help but pick up my mother and sisters crying and calling to me. I felt tears prick my eyes.

Would I ever see my family again?


	3. No One Owns Me!

_A/__N_** - Hey all. So I realised I hadn't put an author's note on the top of this page and I thought I should. Personally, I don't believe that we 'authors' (if you could call us that) give enough praise to out reviews and readers. So, here's your praise...**

Well done.

**Great, wasn't it? I'm thinking about becoming President. My speeches would ROCK your WORLD!**

**All jokes aside though, I do appreciate every single review that I get and I personally message back with a reply every time :) I've got a current conversation with the most wonderful **OneMadCookie **that has lasted a good three months and a VERY large conversation it is! So if anyone wants to talk to me about shit... MESSAGE ME! (I have no friends T_T)**

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**Chapter 3 – No One Owns Me**

I was absolutely exhausted as the coach entered the forests of Sunder. I had had my eyes closed most of the way through Estill because it seemed that Nikre couldn't help but stare into them. Which made me feel very uncomfortable indeed.

At some point in the journey I had fallen asleep and leaned my head against the side of the coach. When I awoke I found Nikre staring at me again. I opened my bleary eyes slowly and stretch my arms in the air until they reached the roof of the coach. I rubbed my pink eye, which always seemed to be the most irritated when I awoke.

I looked at Nikre only to find him with a shocked expression on his face.

"What were you doing?" He said his eyes as wide a saucers.

I was quite offended. "Waking up. Would you have me sleep more? Should I have never awoken?"

The corner of Nikre's yellow eye twitched slightly. "I just… wasn't expecting it. That's all." He muttered and then looked away from my face and out into the forests of Sunder.

The rest of the journey was silent and frightening. I thought of all the things the king might make me do. Would my family rescue me? And would another kingdom think I was theirs? Our family didn't belong to any kingdom. We generally liked to stay out of their way, but now we had no choice. Well, I had no choice.

We reached Murgon City at noon the next day. Our horses had been exchanged at an inn on the path.

Murgon City wasn't that extraordinary. The walls of the city were made of grey stone that made the place look old and withered. There were huge iron and wood gates that led into the city.

As we passed through the gates I peeked out of the curtained window. People stopped to stare at the coach as we made our way toward Murgon's castle. Some of the people on the sides of the streets caught my eyes and just stood there as if they were paralysed.

"I don't understand." I said to Nikre. "Why do these people react the way they do toward me? They just stare at me. I don't understand."

He huffed a huge sigh. "Your eyes have that effect on people. They just do."

I glance at the large man on the opposite side of the coach. "Do my eyes affect you?" I asked.

He glanced at me and quickly turned away. "I think it was easier when you were blind." He muttered to the window.

We entered the castle wall and the coach jogged a little as we were driven over the cobbled floor.

Nikre opened the coach door and stepped out. He reached his hand toward me, an offering. I took his hand reluctantly and he held on tight as I stepped out of the coach. The sun was a little harsh on my eyes, as for most of the journey we had had the curtains drawn.

"The King will be waiting for you." Nikre said as he led me into the castle itself.

"Oh, goody. Such a warm welcome. I feel at home already." Nikre smiled and I realised that when he was smiling and nor sneering he could look quite handsome. He had dark hair and a broad chest and shoulders. His arms were large too and he was tall. A very eligible bachelor had he not been such a dangerous Graceling.

We walked up a flight of stairs that started out, width wise, very large but gradually narrowed until it was a normal sized flight of stairs at the top.

We walked along a large corridor that had a balcony and overlooked the entrance hall. There were large iron doors at the end of the corridor with gold and silver and precious jewels encrusted on the edges. Nikre swung the doors open with no trouble while I tottered in behind him.

"Ah, Nikre! My trusted friend! I assume you bring me a gift?" The King's voice was deep and rumbling.

"Yes, Lord King. The girl." Nikre stepped aside and I could see the king. He looked like a very, very, very rich lumberjack. He had a curly, ginger beard and curly, ginger hair to match. He wore deep purple robes with animal fur around the edges. They looked like some precious mountain Tiger's fur. It made me angry.

His throne was decorated much like the doors to the throne chamber. Jewels encrusted the sides and arms of the throne, while a deep red padding cushion the bottom and back of the throne.

The king smiled at me but I could almost see the gold coins twinkling in his eyes. He meant to make some money from me for sure.

"Ah, my dear! How nice it is that you joined us!"

I glanced at Nikre and snorted, "It's not like I had a choice."

The king faltered slightly, perhaps at my defiance. "Yes, well, how else would we get you out of that wretched valley. Anyway," He added clapping his hands, "We must proceed to the Grand Dining Hall and start the bidding! "

Suddenly Nikre stepped forward and interrupted him, "Bidding? Lord King, I thought we agreed-"

"Silence Nikre!" The king bellowed. "You have done enough. You will get your reward in due course. You may leave for your duties now."

Nikre hesitated. He glanced at me. He looked almost… worried. Then he bowed to the King and left the throne chamber.

The king sighed and gave me an apologetic smile, "He wanted to keep you as a pet. Poor man. He's so lonely. Anyway," He clapped his hands again and too guards appeared by my sides and attempted to take my arms. "I'm sorry for this, my dear, but we can't afford you running off, now can we?"

No one answered his question but I yanked my arms away from the guards. "I can walk by myself. I may be a Graceling but I'm not stupid enough to try and escape."

I turned and stalked out of the throne room, the guards leading me.

I couldn't believe people were bidding for me. Lots of people were there. I couldn't believe my eyes. There were noble men and Lords from all over the Seven Kingdoms. Well, perhaps not many from Lienid and Monsea but Nander, Wester, Estill, Middluns, and Sunder there were lots.

The hall was large and there was a huge, thick, oval wooden table in the centre with wooden chairs with deep, red cushions on the seats and backs.

I was to stand and the very end of the table furthest from the door, opposite the King.

"Welcome, friends! This is the item up for purchase," He said pointing to me. I didn't like him calling me and 'item'. "Should we start the bidding at 100 gold coins?"

A man in yellow robes, pale skin and white blond hair raised his hand and leaned forward.

Murgon's eyes lit up with a strange light. "100 coins to the man in the yellow robes-"

"No," Said the man. "I was merely going to ask for a demonstration of her skills. We need to know what we are bidding for."

There was a sea of nodding heads and agreeing voices and King Murgon looked slightly nervous. "Well, of course."

He looked at me then. "Guards give her a bow and quiver."

"An archer?" One of the men at the table asked. "What would we do with an archer?"

King Murgon grinned wickedly. "She is a little more than an archer, my friend. See for yourself."

They handed me a bow and quiver and my chain mail I had worn when I was fighting Nikre.

I threw on my chain mail and quiver and notched an arrow in my bow.

"Hey, King, do I kill them?" I called across the chamber.

Murgon looked annoyed but answered me all the same. "No fatal injuries. Maim them. Put on a show."

I held the bow before my face. He wanted me to put on a show did he? Well, I can show them just how dangerous I am.

There were four guards that were coming at me, two more at the doors to the chamber. I was stupid enough to try and escape. After I finished with these weaklings I'm out of here.

I had the guards crumpled on the floor in less than five seconds. The first I shot in the leg and he dropped to the floor immediately. A second later I had another guard on his knees clutching his arms, both of which I had shot. The other two were too close to shoot without risking myself. I slammed my bow into the temple of the man furthest away and he fell forward, unconscious. The fourth guard was circling me, trying to find a weak spot I had unprotected. I feigned right and leaped on him from the left slamming my foot into his side, then I whacked him around the head with my long bow for good measure. The last guard slumped on the floor and I looked back at the other guests. They all looked thoughtful, some even looked shocked but others looked hungry, like they were thinking of all the things they could make me do. I shuddered. There was no way I would bow to the will of any of these disgusting men.

I walked along the side of the table my eyes on the King. He had looked pleased when I had finished with his guards, now he looked scared.

"I am leaving." I said.

I heard a chair being swiftly pulled back from the table. "Hold on! We haven't finished yet! Who gets the archer?"

"No one gets the archer." I snarled turning to the porky man who had spoken.

Another man pulled back from the table, the man who had wanted to see my skill. I narrowed my eyes at him, "Are you not satisfied, sir?" I growled.

"Indeed I am, Archer. Please forgive me. I merely came to see if the rumours were true. And indeed they are."

I didn't have time to ask what these rumours were and I didn't bother in correcting his usage of 'Archer' because I heard the pounding of boots in the corridor ahead. More guards were coming. I had no time.

I notched two arrows and caught the guards by the door in their necks. The guards I had dealt with before were still moaning from their injuries. They would not be causing me trouble. The trouble lay in the corridor. Stood between me and the grand marble stairs were about ten or twelve men. I notched five arrows and shot them. Three hit their target sending the guards sprawling on the floor while the others ran at me. I was a better shot with one arrow at a time. I notched another arrow and it flew at a guards' eye, I didn't need to see if it was a good shot because I knew it would be. In less than a second I had another arrow ready to fire which made the next guard clutch at his throat and stop running.

I kept up the pace shooting as many guards as I could before they could get to me. Nine down, three to go. The guards were almost to me when I spun around rolling on the round to the right side of the corridor, fast. The guards looked around almost as if they had lost me. The closest guard to me didn't even have time to register what was happening before the wood of my bow connected with the back of his neck, making a horrible cracking down as his neck snapped.

I could almost feel my feral side taking over. I growled and kicked a guard in the chest sending him backward. The last guard grabbed my wrist and slammed me into the wall. I saw stars but before the guard could make a fatal strike I snaked my leg around his and brought him down. I slammed my foot against the guards' necks and stood there, breathing hard. I'd never taken down so many before.

I remembered I should really be running for my life, so I did.

I ran down the marble stairs and through the City of Murgon. I could hear soldiers and guards were following me but I didn't stop. I had to keep running. I found myself growing tired and I heard the voices getting nearer and nearer.

Just when I thought I would collapse on the spot an arm snaked around my waist and pulled me to one side. I saw the guards run past me but I realise that I couldn't actually sigh with relief because I could hardly catch my breath.

"Are you alright, Archer?" Said a familiar voice from behind me. I looked up to see the noble man in yellow robes from the auction. He smiled down at me. "Would you like some help?"

I nodded weakly. I was in a foreign country somewhere I had never been before, with no one I knew and several people out to get me, maybe even kill me. I really needed some help.

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**I'm being really pathetic and trying to make this fic look longer by making too many author's notes.**

**Review please! Even though i'm pathetic! Don't take it out on Nikre and Tikka and the others! They'll take it as a personal offense if you don't praise them for their good performances :(**

Nikre: I don't care.

Me: Yeah you doooooooooooo! You know you dooooooooooooo! Otherwise I'll never let you have Tikka...

Nikre: *glaring* you wouldn't do that to me...

Me: Tikka! Change of plans you're going to get with Raffin instead!

Nikre: NO!

Tikka: *just walked in* too late.

Me: ...

Nikre: You mean you were with him before?

Tikka: I'm joking! Jeez, you losers.

Me and Nikre: F#*# you.

Tikka: *gasp*

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	4. Emotional Breakdown, Here I Come

**A/N:**

**Just want to say thanks a bunch to all the people who have reviewed.  
I do love to here feedback, positive or not. (but positive is good :D)**

**Chapter 4 – Emotional breakdown here we come!**

When I awoke I was in a strange looking room. It wasn't extravagant like many of the other places I slept; it was almost… run down. The brown stone walls were cracking; the ceiling, that was made out of wood, was rotting; and overall the room was fairly bare. I noticed a man sitting in the corner of the room. I shifted myself onto my elbows to look at him more closely. I screamed.

"Nikre! Wha-what are you doing here!" I shrieked terrified.

Nikre looked irritated. "Wake up the whole neighbourhood, why don't you! Calm down."

It was then that I noticed another man standing in the room, by the door. The man in yellow robes was smiling at me warmly. "Good morning, Archer. Did you sleep well?"

I rubbed the back of my head that was throbbing painfully. "You people really freak me out. How long have both of you been there?"

Nikre shrugged. "We were waiting for you to walk up. You sleep like a rock."

"Nice to know." I snarled.

"Now, now," The other man said calmly. "Let's not fight. We have other business to attend to."

That got my attention. "Who are you?"

The man smiled apologetically. He was actually quite handsome. "I do apologize. My name is Prince Raffin of Middluns.

My eyes widened. "You're a Prince?" I scoffed. "You can't be that nice otherwise you wouldn't have been at my auction."

Raffin chuckled. "I wasn't there to buy you, Archer. I was merely responding to some rumours I heard. I told you before.

"But, that aside we do have some urgent business to attend to," He began clapping his hands. Raffin came to sit next to me on the bed and I sat up fully. "Are you aware of an organization named the Council?"

I frowned. "I think so. My father mentioned going on an errand for the Council. Don't you hate the Seven Kingdoms as well?"

Raffin looked surprised. "No. Who is your father?"

"Jacob of Neen Fortress, do you know of him?"

Raffin looked surprised. "I know of him, yes. Your family are quite famous in the Seven Kingdoms. I never heard that there were two Graceling children."

I smiled. "Probably because I am the blind daughter."

Raffin's eyes widened in understanding. "Ah, I see."

There was an exasperated sigh from the corner of the room. "I could've told you that." Nikre sat there, slouched in the chair, staring out of the window.

"Just ignore him. He's an idiot." I muttered. I felt his mismatched eyes focus on me and he glared at me from across the room.

Raffin cleared his throat until he had both of our attention. "We have a proposition for you, Archer."

My curiosity peaked. So there was an ulterior motive to saving me. I wonder what they will ask of me. Perhaps to settle a score with someone, or maybe to collect something stolen.

Raffin glanced at Nikre then back to me. "We, that is, the Council and I, believe you would be a valuable asset to our cause. We would be most honoured if you would join us."

Okay, I hadn't been expecting that. "What's the catch?" I asked.

Raffin looked stunned for a moment. "Catch? What do you mean?"

"Don't worry, Prince Raffin." Nikre said walking over to us and patting him on the shoulder. Then he sneered at me. "She must've got a bump to the head on the way here."

"If you were anymore annoying I think you might be a fly." I spat.

"You see, Lord Prince," Nikre said disdainfully gesturing to me. "She is just a child. She doesn't possess the skill we need – "

"At the moment both of you are acting like children. If you can't even be in the same room together without starting something I think one of you should leave. Nikre would you please give us some privacy?"

Nikre looked angry, but so did Raffin. I was glad Nikre was leaving though. His very _presence_ made me mad. Just that he was _breathing _made me angry. And that just made me even angrier that he had such an affect on me. I huffed and crossed my arms. This was complete stupidity. Nikre left with a growl. How feral.

Raffin turned back to me and sighed wearily. "That man has such a temper. I don't think many people realise this but he is very troubled. Maybe it's because he has such a lonely life. Most people run at the first sight of him."

Suddenly I felt overwhelmingly guilty. Was Nikre lonely? I hadn't thought of that. Now I did think about it I could see why Nikre might have such a temper, why he was always so angry. He didn't have anyone to go to at night and tell about his day to. He didn't have anyone to give him hugs and listen to him when he was feeling low, he just had himself. I hadn't realised that Gracelings were feared as they were in the Seven Kingdoms. My family never once treated me differently because of my Grace. It must have been different with Nikre.

Raffin seemed to notice I was thinking hard and a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. I hadn't known this man long but he was already beginning to make me feel nervous.

"So," I said trying to divert his attention, "The Council you say? Of course I will join."

Whatever Prince Raffin had been thinking was now unimportant, "That's fantastic! We will leave right away – "

He had jumped up in excitement and was heading for the door when I interrupted him.

"But," I said. "I need to make a few things clear first."

Raffin nodded and sat back on his seat.

"One," I said holding up my idex finger. "I want complete freedom to go wherever I please, unless we are on a mission of course.

"Two," I said holding up another finger. "I would appreciate it if you would send a guard of some sort to my home. My parents would owe you for eternity. We get a lot of arrogant youths raiding our armoury.

"And three," I said putting emphasis on the 'three'. "You must promise to never put me on a mission with Mr. Ego outside unless absolutely necessary, is that acceptable?"

Prince Raffin sent an amused smile my way. "You are quite a character, Archer. But are you sure you won't reconsider that last request? I think you and Nikre would make a lovely couple."

"If you would like me to reconsider that request I think I will refuse to join the Council. That last request you will have to keep otherwise I will find something else to do with my time." I didn't like the way my heart did a tiny flip when he said 'lovely couple'. That was not a good sign.

The journey to the Middluns was fascinating in an annoying way. I realised not too long into the journey that people could have whole conversations without actually saying anything. Sitting in the cramped little carriage had been one thing, but having to sit opposite Nikre as well was almost too much. The conversation consisted of both of us taking turns to glare at each other occasionally. The atmosphere in the carriage was tense. Prince Raffin didn't say a word the whole way. He just fiddled with a small vile of blue liquid.

"Ah!" The prince cried, "We've arrived at last."

I was able to give Nikre the last glare. He held it until Raffin was shouting for us to leave the carriage.

Again, Nikre left the carriage and held his hand to me, though he seemed reluctant. But when I place my hand in his he held it tightly as I climbed down from the carriage steps. He dropped my hand the second my feet touched the ground.

"The rest of the Council should be waiting inside to greet you Archer."

Nikre stepped up to Raffin. "Prince Raffin, if everyone outside the Council is to remain oblivious of our allegiance then I must see to some business with your father."

Raffin nodded. "Of course. Join us when you can."

Nikre nodded politely to Raffin, took one look at me and then stalked off.

King Randa's City was very modern. It had elements from each Kingdom within its walls. Though the people were a lot different then I would've expected. I'd always thought the Middluns people to be pale with black hair and blue eyes but very few people had that description. Many of the people had dirty blond hair and blue eyes, their skin darker than I expected.

The Castle of Rander however didn't look like anything I had ever seen before. The stone wasn't grey but silver, the walls looked as though they shone in the sunset.

"Come Archer." Raffin said motioning for her to follow him up some marble steps into the castle.

The welcome I got was most surprising. Many people were there and each and every one of them greeted me as if I were an old friend. I didn't normally do well in groups of people, and this just proves it.

"Good evening, my lady. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Lord…" A man greeted me shaking my hand vigorously.

"Likewise." I said trying to zone back into the conversations going on around me.

I sat down in the nearest chair at a large table and covered my eyes. This was a little overwhelming.

"A little disconcerting, isn't it?" A female voice said to my right. I peeked through my fingers and saw a pair of wide Graceling eyes staring at me, one green and one blue. They were pretty.

"Yes." I murmured taking my hands away from my face.

The table was long and oval; the room not that impressive but I couldn't help feeling a little powerless sitting beside this Graceling.

"Who are you then?" I asked. I flinched slightly at the harsh tone in my words. I had to remind myself that I was still just a child. Perhaps this Graceling would understand that and not take offence.

"My name is Katsa. I am King Randa's niece."

I nodded. "Okay. So you live here?" I asked.

She looked a little surprised. "No. I live in Monsea," She hesitated for a moment. "Aren't you going to ask about my Grace?"

It was my turn to be surprised. "Why would I want to know about your Grace? If I knew your Grace it would give as much insight you're your person as asking after your date of birth."

Katsa stared at me uncomprehending. "Do you know who I am?"

"I'm sorry, is that a threat?" I asked my tone giving away my frustration. Why was this woman acting so strange? What gave her the right to threaten me?

"No." Katsa said firmly. "I was merely asking if you knew who I was."

"If I knew do you really think I would've asked who you were in the first place? No." I snapped.

Katsa bared her teeth in warning. "Be quiet, child. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

"Now," I said my voice taking on mock reprimand. "That _was_ a threat, wasn't it?"

Katsa stood suddenly her eyes flaring with anger. I stood slowly, glaring back at her.

"Please feel free to strike," I said spreading my hands wide. "It's not like I've got much to lose apart from my life."

A man stepped up behind Katsa and put a hand on her shoulder. "Keep calm, lady Katsa. She is still young."

It was true. I was young. But was he implying that I didn't know what I was saying? These Middluns people are rude and annoying. I had no time for this. I stormed from the room suddenly highly embarrassed. I hadn't realised that while Katsa and I were arguing everyone in the room had been watching in shocked silence. I ran through corridors and down marble stairs until I was outside the castle. The fresh air helped clear my head. I ran to the right tall stone wall and leaped up to grab the edge. I heaved myself up and sat looking out at the country side of the Middluns. There were grassy hills as far as the eye could see and I could see miniature farmers tending to their crops and flocks of sheep.

I felt Nikre's presence before I actually saw him sitting next to me.

"What do _you_ want?" I snarled.

He shrugged. "I got bored and thought I'd come and harass you."

I clenched my fists in anger. "Oh, well aren't you the gentleman."

"Okay, I'll make a deal with you. I'll take you to the archery range if you promise to let me study your technique."

I turned to stare at him. "You can never be as good as me, you know."

"I know." He sighed sadly. He managed to catch himself before he let real emotion show on his face. "That's the deal. Take it or leave it."

"Fine, show me."


	5. Proving Honour

**Right, so... this is the LONG awaited fifth Chapter :) sorry for the LONG wait I'm a bit of an idiot when it comes to updating.**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Proving Honour**

Shooting at the Archery Range calmed me. I notched arrow after arrow at the circular target, never missing the red spot in the middle.

I split most of the arrows in half, and if I didn't do that then I was making a pattern around the arrow in the middle of the target, changing it constantly splitting the arrows so they fell and new ones replaced them.

Nikre sat on a tree stump nearby, watching me, possibly even studying my fighting skills for a weak spot, that annoyed me. I couldn't help but feel like he was spying on something private. My archery practise was a precious time for me to think, and I couldn't do that if half my brain was concentrating on the target and the other half on the man sitting only a few metres away.

I notched another arrow and raised my bow, a hand came out of no where and pushed my wrist down. I stared at the hand in surprise and followed the large, muscled arm to a broad shoulder, and face. Nikre was there, a large smirk plastered across his face. Anger replaced my surprise and I immediately began to glare.

"I think you have used up enough arrows for today." I turned to see around twenty empty quivers lying in a heap behind me. I felt heat rise to my face and I knew that I would look beet red.

Annoyed at my obvious show of emotion, I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"Have a nice evening." Nikre said before walking back into the forest. I stared after him. That strange man confused me. I didn't even want to be here. The Middluns was a strange and foreign country and it scared me. If I never saw the Middluns or Nikre again I wouldn't object.

I headed back the way I had seen Nikre go and reached the castle not long after. It was only until I got in the entrance of the castle that I realised I had no idea where I was or where I was going to sleep.

I saw the lady from earlier, Katsa. She was walking casually up the stairs toward her bed chamber.

"Lady Katsa," I called jogging up the stairs to meet her. When I reached her I think I might've died from her deathly stare, but I kept my composure long enough to apologize. "I just wanted to apologize for what happened earlier. I had no right to speak to you like that." I bowed low. "I'm not used to being among so many people. My family hid me for so many years I didn't remember what it was like meeting new people. I'm sorry."

Katsa caught my shoulder and pushed on it lightly signalling for me to stand up straight. I did and she smiled at me though she was a head shorter than I was.

"I accept your apology, Archer." She said smiling kindly at me.

"And may I just clarify that I'm not, in fact, a child. My twentieth birthday is fast approaching." I said trying to sound submissive instead of defensive. I don't think it worked.

She laughed, "I'm well aware of that, Archer. No need to worry." Then she frowned and asked, "If you could choose where would you have rather been brought up; in a king's court or in your family's house?"

I was confused by her question. "My family, of course. I love my family." I felt my heart tighten as I realised I hadn't informed them of my rescue. They must be so worried.

Katsa smiled again, "Do not fret, Archer. Your family have been informed of your rescue."

And I remembered a promise that a Prince had made. "And what of the guards sent to my house? Were they sent? The Prince promised they would…"

"Yes."

I nodded and relaxed. I hadn't even noticed my tense shoulders. "May I ask you something somewhat personal, lady?"

She nodded and smiled. "Of course, Archer. What was it you wanted to know?"

"What is your Grace?"

She paused for a moment to consider her answer, though I didn't know why. My Grace; I was skilled with a bow. Why would she consider her answer? Was she trying to keep some part of her Grace from me?

"Survival, we assume. Though for a time, when I was younger, I was King Randa's Graced Killer."

I nodded suddenly realising what danger I had been in when I had angered her. That would not have ended well had I not left. "I see. That explains why everyone looked shocked when I argued with you, and that you looked shocked that I didn't immediately know who you were. I thought you were just being arrogant." I admitted.

Katsa considered this. "Yes, that would be a logical explanation for someone who didn't recognise me. I understand."

That was a relief as well. My shoulders relaxed even more, though I hadn't thought that possible.

I stared after Katsa as she walked down the corridor and turned into a chamber. I stood exactly where I was. Awkward and embarrassed, I thought about sleep and my eyes drooped slightly. I looked around desperately for someone to ask directions. I hadn't asked Katsa for a chamber for fear of looking like a complete idiot. Now I'm sure I looked even more of an idiot.

But for me, I couldn't give in just like that. Being labelled an 'idiot' is probably the worst possible thing when I was in the court of King Randa.

But the Gods seemed to be smiling down on me because before long a guard came around the corner and I was able to ask him where the guest quarters were. He showed me into a large sitting chamber where he told me I could stay for the night. I thanked him before he went away to perform his other duties.

The chamber was large and had a constant theme of pale green and light coloured wood. There were two doors, one on the wall to the right and one on the wall to the left. The door to the right was closed but the door on the left wall was wide open. I decided to take the left chamber because for all I knew someone else could have been sleeping in the right one and I didn't particularly want to disturb any more people that night. I dressed for bed into a nightdress I found in the chest of drawers in my chamber and climbed tiredly into the green covered four-poster bed. I fell asleep hoping to God that tomorrow wouldn't be as eventful or as confusing as the past few days had been.

I awoke to the sounds of life. There were voices outside my door, people rushing a bustling about in the corridor beyond and a knocking sound on wood. It was an odd way to wake up, for me at least. Normally I would be woken by the sounds of the birds chirping outside my window just after my maid, Jasmine, opened it to let the fresh, crisp air in. I didn't really like it, waking up in a castle. It wasn't how I'd imagined it would be at all. Even at home the life of royalty seemed amazing and glamorous but now I was experiencing living in a castle first hand, I think I'd rather live at home in our antisocial fortress on the hill.

I threw my covers off and went to the chest of drawers. Inside were a dark, forest green tunic, brown trousers and a pair of brown leather boots sitting neatly underneath the outfit. I surmised that a servant must have put them in there this morning, and opened the curtains. I dressed and made the bed, just to be polite. It wasn't a very good job because I'd had Jasmine make my bed every morning at home but it's the thought that counts, right?

As I got close to the door to open it I heard muffled voices from the chamber beyond. I pressed my ear up against it silently and listened to what was going on.

"And you are absolutely sure that she'll be up for the mission." A raspy voice said.

"Absolutely," Prince Raffin said confidently, "the journey to Estil will be a little difficult because Murgon's men will be looking for her but once in Estil we'll be safe. Unless King Murgon wants to declare war against Thigpen."

I tried to contain my excitement but it was almost impossible. Estil was the most beautiful of all of the Seven Kingdoms. The people of the countryside were always friendly and welcoming and my mother loved the market. Sometimes she'd even let me come and being the way I am I wasn't allowed to go many places in the Seven Kingdoms for fear of being discovered. The people of Estil were by far the most interesting. Rumours have been circulating for centuries that Estil is the country where all of its country men are Graced but I don't believe that. If that were true then they'd all have the same Grace and that's just impossible. The people of Estil are renowned for they're ability to harness the power of the sun for the energy and heat they need. No other Kingdom has ever been able to find out their secret and all spies have come back fruitless. They are a peaceful people but some would call them dark magicians which is totally untrue. Estil gets their money from many gold, silver and steel mines on the sides of the mountains to the East of their country. You will never find an Estillian burning wood for a fire because there is just no need. When they need heat for moulding the gold or silver or steel they will use the sun's power and when they need warmth at night their body heat rockets up. No one knows how they do it. I'm not even sure they do. I think it's an instinct. A subconscious function of their bodies when they get below a certain temperature to increase it with some excess energy from the sun that they picked up during the day.

I opened the door slowly and waited until everyone in the sitting chamber new I was there before closing the door with a click.

"Ah!" Raffin cried when he spotted me, "Tikka we were just talking about you."

"Oh?" I acted surprised.

"Yes, you're first mission should be underway shortly. But first let me introduce you into some key member of the council." Raffin caught my elbow gently and steered me towards a group of around three men and two women. To my surprise the women seemed to be the most important of the group. Both of them had their own advisor standing beside them and eagerly whispering in their ears. The men however just stood in a rough semi circle chattering quietly to each other. That is, until Raffin spoke to the group. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Council, I called you today to introduce you to a key new member of our organisation. Okay then people, this is Tikka, Tikka these are key members of the council." Raffin pulled me over to the small group of men. "This is Bronte from Sunder," he began, gesturing to a man in faded red robes and dark, almost black hair. This man looked a little older than Nikre but smaller, slighter and his features were less angular. He bowed deeply and kissed the back of my hand, without a lecherous grin which forced me to believe that the kiss was merely a greeting. I'd have to get used to stuff like this. The next was introduced as Torin, a kindly looking old man who smiled warmly at me as though the moment he'd seen me he'd already decided to a good friend. Laedin was a cruel looking old man, he held himself with an air of importance but all I saw was crippled old man with a walking stick. He muttered a greeting and then continued to mutter under his breath about 'rotten kids', 'glory for themselves' and 'money'.

The two women were the last to be introduced to me. At this point Nikre came over to stand by my side. I was a little surprised by this reaction but when I saw the slight apprehension on Prince Raffin's face I began to feel uneasy. Apparently these women were a lot more powerful than I'd originally thought. "Tikka, this is Kiana and Ceja. Kiana, Ceja this is the new recruit." Then Raffin backed off and so did Nikre albeit only one step. Ceja regarded me coldly while Kiana embraced me with open arms. "I have a good feeling about you, Tikka." Kiana announced pulling back and giving her arms a short squeeze. Ceja had yet to comment. "I can see us being the best of friends!"

My smile to this comment was a little forced. Actually it was a lot forced. I didn't think we'd get on at all but I didn't tell her that. However she was grinning at me like we were already the best of friends and I couldn't help but wonder what her grace was. Ceja was still silent and instead of being jolly and happy with Kiana she took to crossing her arms in an almost defensive manner and pointing at my face. Kiana, sensing her companion was about to make an important statement, backed away from me which left me feeling very alone and very vulnerable. I think Nikre must have sensed my distress because even without me changing anything in my body language to suggest I was frightened he was reaching for my hand, perhaps to calm me.

"You don't belong to any of the Seven Kingdoms." She declared her glare darkening.

"No." I confirmed.

"You have no loyalties here. All of your family are back in that wretched valley you come from."

I grit my teeth to keep the frustrated, offended comments at bay, "that is partly true."

"How so?" She asked her nose rising into the air as she spoke.

"I do have loyalties here," I began, "I have my promise to uphold with Prince Raffin."

She smiled smugly, "that, I'm afraid, is the wrong answer. Unfortunately, that is not a good enough reason to grant you permission to enter this Council."

"Wait," I said lifting my hands into the air in exasperation, "I need permission? Wasn't this meant to be some sort of rebellion charity thing you've got going on here?"

"It's a very important organisation helping to secure the safety and well-being of people all over the Seven Kingdoms who are being mistreated!" She yelled. Surprise made me take a step backwards and I bumped into Nikre's chest, but I didn't move away. "Some annoying, know-it-all, arrogant little girl is not going to enter this organisation ever. You have my word as long as I live you will never be accepted here."

Ceja was stepping ever closer throughout her rant and I honestly couldn't get any closer to Nikre if I tried, he was my only source of protection at that moment. I was also a little offended. This Ceja person hadn't actually ever truly met me, how does she know I'm like that?

Ceja was very close to my face now and hissing under her breath. "How? Why? Again?" I didn't understand her disjointed ramblings very much but as Ceja was trying to get closer, perhaps to poke my eyes out, Kiana pulled her away gently. She whispered to her for a moment and then Ceja was finally taking her yellow and sickly green coloured eyes away from me and stalked out of the chambers. I was still slightly in shock, still trying to get my head around all of what had just happened, so I only realised that someone was trying to get me to sit down when my bottom hit the softness of a sofa cushion. Nikre was in front of me with a cup of water and gently shaking me out of my shock induced comatose-like state. I blinked several times because my eyes had grown quite dry from staring openly like that. I shuddered; Prince Raffin and Nikre noticed.

"Tikka," Raffin began softly, "I'm so sorry about what happened just now. I don't know what came over her. I mean, most of the time she's cold and distant but she's never been… like that before." He hesitated then patted me gently on the back. "It's just her way, Tikka. Don't take it personally."

I just about swallowed around the lump in my throat, "thanks, Raffin." I turned down to stare at the cup on my lap. I heard some deep murmurs coming from the only men left in the chamber and then Raffin ushered them out. I didn't realise that Nikre was still there until he spoke. "Are you alright to stand?"

"I'm fine." I snapped feebly. I didn't feel fine though, far from it in fact. The shock was almost overwhelming. Perhaps this was one of her powers; to intimidate to the point where her victims succumbed to their own fear. I stood but far too quickly, the cup of water fell out of my hand and onto the stone floor and luckily Nikre had a firm grip on my shoulders so I wasn't sprawled out across the floor too; though he probably would've liked that.

"Or not." He said with a hint of amusement to his voice. This irritated me immensely.

"I'll be fine." I said holding onto a dining chair for support. I didn't let him comment further though before I asked, "so, what are their powers?"

Nikre shrugged, "I've been a Council member a long time but I've never asked."

I snickered, "too afraid?"

He sighed and sat down at the table beside the chair I was leaning on, "yes, actually."

I frowned in surprise. I hadn't expected that reaction. "Oh,"

Nikre smirked at my short response seeming satisfied that he'd surprised me. The smile soon faded however, "Ceja… told me of things that only I knew. Secrets that… I'd never shared with anyone." He sighed and cast his eyes downward.

I frowned with something akin to sympathy sparking in my chest. I sat down in the chair beside him and tried to provide some comfort. "I'm sorry." I said feeling as though the words where needed in this situation.

Suddenly his piercing crimson and honey yellow coloured eyes stared directly into mine from underneath a curtain of dark hair, "why? Why are you sorry?"

I leaned back quickly from the sudden interrogation and felt strangely vulnerable. I was just trying to be nice and suddenly he'd turned from a pathetic little kicked puppy into this diamond hard stranger. The shock and slight hurt of having my sympathy shoved back in my face made for my defensiveness to spring to action defending my feelings. "Why you pig-nosed skeever!" I cried standing quickly and completely forgetting the earlier fear from the wicked witch of the west.

Nikre's expression turning from suspicion to disbelief, "excuse me?"

"You don't know a thing about people, do you?" I cried throwing my arms into the air for emphasis, "all I was doing was trying to make you feel better and you come out with something like that!"

He looked pretty surprised and confused. Why on _earth_ was he _confused?_ "What the hell are you talking about? And how can a skeever be pig-nosed? They're enormous rats."

I spluttered for a moment and all I could come up with was pointing at his face and snapped, "oh, shut up you!"

He chuckled and my face flamed red. "Hey! Stop laughing at me! You're the one at fault here!"

His laughter stopped and he looked at me with slightly irritated and slightly curious eyes, "what did I do again?"

I could almost imagine steam coming out of my ears, "I say 'I'm sorry' and all you can do it glare at me and say 'why? Why are you sorry'!" I said feigning Nikre deep voice but making such a bad shot at it that Nikre cracked another smile. "Oh, for the love of all the gods under the sun!" I cried, "stop. Laughing. At. Me."

"I just don't understand how you could possibly feel sorry for me." I misinterpreted this as an insult and immediately began hurling abuse his way. He held up his hands in surrender, a patient sigh escaping his lips, "I didn't mean it like that, Tikka. I took you from your home, from your family. You should hate me."

I calmed down with a few deep breaths and thought quite intently about my answer. Nikre had remained sitting at the head of the table the whole time obviously not seeing me as a threat enough to bother standing. I'd confront him about that at some point but now was not the time. "I don't hate you." I replied not really coming up with a reason why yet.

"But how? How can you not hate me?" Nikre asked seemingly as lost about this question as he was about Ceja.

"I don't know. I guess it's just… not in my nature to hate people."

Nikre laughed but this time it was bitter and held no humour. "That's impossible. Everyone hates someone."

I scoffed leaning on the table, "you must know some evil people." I muttered.

Nikre snorted, "I do."

After a moment of silence with Nikre staring down intently at my feet (not his own because he was leaning too far forward on his knees to even glimpse them) and me twirling the edge of my goblet I spoke, "not everyone's like that, you know."

Nikre shook his head slowly, "you're young and because of you're gifts you were not allowed to leave your home. You still have much to learn."

I scoffed, "you sound like an old person talking like that."

"I feel like one." He replied leaning back in his seat to regard me. He crossed his arms across his broad chest. "I've seen more death in my life time than your father."

I made another sound of disbelief, "that can't be true. Father is old, bless his soul, and he's been to battle before."

Nikre smiled but it was sad and slightly bitter, "regardless," he said, "I have. Being the Sunder King's servant and body guard has its down sides."

I nodded in understanding, "I understand." Then I grinned, "But that doesn't mean I believe you."

Nikre shook his head a little with a smile. "Don't care either way."

I laughed quietly. "So, how long have you been with the Council?" I asked feeling curiosity building.

He shrugged and glanced up at the ceiling in thought, "I think I joined probably a year after it was formed. I was upset by what King Murgon was doing. By then I'd been in the King's service for a few years. He'd seen my gifts from early on and he'd found a use for me." He paused in thought, "so I think I've been with the Council seven or eight years."

I nodded, "that's impressive."

He smirked, "oh and I thought it would be difficult to impress you."

I laughed, "It is. Normally. But you're not normal."

He nodded smiling at the table top. He picked up a filled glass of wine and took a sip from the goblet.

"So, why do you still work for King Murgon?" I asked unable to be distracted from my curiosity, "doesn't he mind that you work for the Council?"

He chuckled quietly, "you're not very observant, are you?" He muttered but before I could protest he continued, "he doesn't know I belong to a secret organisation stopping the Seven Kingdom's mistreating it's subjects. If he did I'd be hanged."

I scoffed, "but that would be kind of pointless because you can't die."

He chuckled, "I can assure you, Tikka, I'm very much susceptible to suffocation."

My eyes widened and I leaned forward unconsciously, "really? I thought you were invincible!"

He shook his head, "that's what everyone thinks but they don't put two and two together and realise that impenetrable skin doesn't prevent my skin from moving. With pressure to my throat I would die like any normal person without my gifts."

I was frowning hard by this point. "I don't believe you…"

He sighed and with a resigned smile pushed up his shirt sleeve revealing a long, muscled tan arm. "Well, go on then." He said indicating his arm.

I didn't really know what I was meant to be doing exactly. I suppose he wanted me to see whether his skin was hard as a rock or if it had give like normal skin would. I tentatively reached out and poked his forearm. He chuckled grabbing my wrist and placing my whole hand onto his skin. I must admit I hadn't expected the move and was almost ready to draw back and punch him before I realised he wasn't trying to kill me or anything. I pushed down with my fingers and felt his skin move downward with the movement. My eyes widened a little in surprise. I hadn't expected it to do that. All the tales told of a man with diamond hard skin and the description kind of made it sound like his skin was rock hard.

"My skin can morph into a strong shell when I need it. It's triggered by my excitement, most of the time."

My eyes widened further, if that were even possible, when his skin became hard. Granted it was gradual but it was happening and before long when I pressed down with my fingers again his skin didn't move at all. I took his arm both of my hands and tried again and the skin was still hard as a rock. It was incredible.

"I've never seen a Grace like this before." I breathed still pushing down on his arm. Nikre began pulling away when I was almost trying to crush it under the press of my hands, "I think you're getting a little too excited there, Tikka." Nikre chuckled rolling his sleeve back down.

I felt my face heat up, "sorry." I muttered trying to hide my flushed face with my goblet. Nikre smirked at my attempt but didn't say anything. For that I was grateful.

"But if you were going to be hanged surely you could just turn on the diamond hard skin thin and you'd be find. The pressure on you throat wouldn't matter."

He nodded, "in theory, you are right. But I don't know how my spine would fair when being dropped with a rope around my neck." He massaged his neck slightly with a bit of a disturbed look on his face. He glanced at me with a worried frown. "Do you mind if we stopped talking about my execution? I find it a little disconcerting."

I nodded face flaming again, "of course! Of course! I'm sorry!"

He smiled and let his hand relax and rest on his goblet of wine, "don't be."

A small rat-tat on the door made both turn. "Enter." Nikre called.

Prince Raffin returned with a large smile on his face. "I'm so glad you're getting to know each other!" He cried coming around the table to sit next to Nikre opposite me.

Nikre and I glared at Raffin and the collective glare sent him fidgeting in his seat. "Right, well, moving on." He clapped his hands all business-like, "Tikka you will be leaving for you're mission soon."

"I will?" I asked excitedly a large smile spreading across my face. "Brilliant!"

"Right, well, I best be leaving then," Nikre said standing. I stood and so did Raffin, out of politeness.

"Oh, are you not coming?" I asked in surprise. I'd thought that because he'd come with us back to Nander that he was going to come with me on this mission… not that I wanted him too! That was my third condition after all!

Nikre shook his head with a small smile. "No, no, I need to get back to Murgon or I'll be missed."

I nodded in understanding and just then noticed Raffin regarding our exchange with a slight smile.

"You look happy. Something I don't know about?" Nikre asked before I could.

Raffin shook his head his smile never fading. "Nope., I just think it's wonderful that you two are finally getting on."

I rolled my eyes at Raffin, "okay, Prince, let's get going. I overheard where we're going earlier."

Nikre nodded politely to us both and left the chamber without another word. Raffin smirked, "I should've known you'd be listening in. What did you hear?"

"Only that we'll be leaving for Estil." I said happily.

Raffin smiled, "oh good, I can tell you the rest then." He paused for dramatic effect and I leaned forward on the table. "We will be protecting a very important person during the Solar Festival. We will be working very closely with the sorcerers of Estil and we will be protecting their most valued high sorcerer, Juniper. She is also the Court Sorcerer and her protection is of the utmost importance on this day because she is to complete the last of the daylight gathering of this season in preparation for the Winter months with no sun."

I nodded in understanding almost bursting with excitement, "does that mean I'll get to meet her?" I asked.

Raffin grinned at my enthusiasm. "It most certainly does! You will be her personal body guard along with another Council member I am sending with you. Due to being inconspicuous around the Kingdoms you will have to where a robe and hood underneath you're chain mail. I have already taken the liberty of crafting you a new bow from an Elm tree not too far from here. It is waiting with you're chain mail and a shield on your dresser.

I blinked in slight surprise, "oh, I wonder how I missed that."

Raffin grinned, "I had the servants put them in your chamber when you where_ talking _with Ceja and Kiana."

I winced at the memory. "Oh god, don't remind me."

Raffin grimaced in sympathy for his next words shook me to my very core, "I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, you will also be accompanied by Ceja and Kiana."

I coked on the sip of wine I'd just taken, "what? You aren't serious!"

Raffin shrugged and smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, Tikka, it couldn't be avoided. They are also valued guests at the Solar Festival and have been for many years. They are close friends with Thigpen and Juniper."

"I don't know if I can do that." I said cautiously.

Raffin sighed and took Nikre seat next to me, "please, Archer." He pleaded taking my hand in his, "this mission will perhaps prove your loyalty to the Council and to Ceja. Perhaps she will come round."

I shook my head, "but I don't understand!" I cried.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. Kiana and Ceja's powers have forever been a mystery. All we can understand is that Kiana sees the best in people, present, future and past and…" he paused a sigh looking into my eyes, "Ceja sees the worst."

I threw up my hands in exasperation, "well that doesn't give _anyone_ a chance! I wonder why she doesn't hate everyone!"

Raffin laughed bitterly and leaned back in his chair a hand on his chin thoughtfully, "I believe she does."

I noticed his sudden change of mood and frowned, "I'm sure she's been a great asset to the Council even with her faults."

Raffin scoffed his expression darkening further, "no, no, you were right before. She never gives anyone a chance."

"I can understand that now." I said a little unnerved by Raffin's obvious contempt toward her, "but it isn't her fault. She was born like it."

Raffin sighed and, with obvious difficulty, forced his expression to calm, "I know that, I'm sorry. It's…" He smiled ruefully, "she's caused quite a few clashes of opinion in the past and unless she has some solid proof that you were a bad decision, nothing will come of her ramblings."

I nodded still a little concerned, "but what did she mean? She kept saying 'why? How? Again?' I got really confused."

Raffin nodded closing his eyes with a sigh, "no one knows what goes on in her head. Kiana on the other hand doesn't shut up about what she thinks." He said smiling fondly. "She's a right chatter-box I'm sure you two will get on like a house on fire."

I grinned, "if she's anything like my nutter of a sister I'm sure we will."

Raffin returned my grin with one of his own, "right then! Off to Estil with you! Get your supplies from you're bed chamber and I'll meet you outside the gates."

I nodded and Raffin left with a large smile. I sighed the smile still lingering. Even the conversation with Nikre had left me in a better mood. I was optimistic as I entered my bed chamber a large steel and wooden shield lay on top of my dresser. I picked it up feeling out light weight it was. I smiled, it was perfect. I noticed the crest on the front was the crest of Neen Fortress. I frowned in confusion. How on earth did anyone have time to mould the crest onto a shield? I'd only been here a day! I slipped the chain mail over my head and slung the shield onto my back. Next I examined the bow. It was definitely a lovely bow, almost as lovely as Flore made back home. Still a little suspicious I slung the quiver with steel arrows over my shoulder. I reached back into the back of my chain mail and fished out the hood on my tunic, I untucked it ready for the ride to Estil. Raffin was right. I'd be too easily spotted. Most likely all the Seven Kingdom's would have a warrant out for my arrest. Fake obviously but no one would know that. Bounty hunters would still want my head on a silver platter if it meant a gold reward from a Royal.

I began the descent down to the gates of the citadel. Once outside I spotted the group easily. They were a mismatch of purple, red and black cloaks surrounding four horses. I approached at a jog with a smile on my face. I completely avoided Ceja so I joined Raffin and Kiana beside their horses. I hadn't noticed the hooded figure tending to the horses beside Raffin.

"Glad to see you're enthusiasm, Tikka!" Kiana said excitedly. "I can't wait to get there! It'll be beautiful! You'll see!"

I smiled at her warmly, "I'm sure it will."

"It will," said the hooded figure next to our horses. I knew that voice far too well to mistake it and I was overwhelmed for a moment before I cried out.

"Flore!"

Flore drew down her hood moments before she was tackled into a gripping hug. I drew back so she could breath properly and smiled widely, "what are you doing here?"

Flore grinned, "are you kidding me?" She asked tightening a strap on her horse, "you think I'm going to let you have all the fun? Going to the Daylight Festival has been my dream since we were children!"

I nodded still grinning like an idiot. It didn't occur to me that we might face danger on the way. It didn't occur to me that someone might make an attempt on the Juniper's life. And I'd never imagine that someone would make an attempt on my sister's life. Good thing they weren't the ones being targeted I thought as I held onto my sister's waist for dear life. She was the horsewoman, not I. We exited Nander and continued on the shortest route to Estil, through a dense forest. I should've known what was to come.

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**If anyone's in debate about whether or not Nikre's a fit as guy, he is. He really, really is. I love my imagination. Seriously, you want to get in here, it's full of fit men or my own creation.**

***sigh* heaven.**

**Anywho, review ****review****review****review****review****review****review****review****review PLEASE THANK YOU **

******TTFN XX**


	6. Who Your Friends Are

**A/N - **Hey again! New chapter of Tikka Archer up... yay! This is probably the only multi-chapter fic where I actually know what's going on and what's going to happen... that doesn't exactly bode well for the other fics but oh well!  
This is a little twist. Well, sort of. It's filled with suspense a little romance... Tikka/Nikre of course plus... another couple DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUN. Who could it be? Read and find out! Enjoy! **As per usual,** _italics_**mean** _thoughts,_**direct**_ thoughts**.**_

- X  
P.S.

You guys are in for a real treat with the next chapter! Already written it! Haha! I'm finally on top of my this story! No more waiting ONE WHOLE YEAR for the next chapter, eh guys?

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**Chapter 6 – Who your friends are.**

The road rose up a steep incline and our horses struggled with the jagged rocks as we ascended. I found that riding a horse for almost half a day caused the most horrible sore spots imaginable and I almost complained but Flore wasn't complaining and that meant that I wouldn't be allowed to either.

Ceja and Kiana rode ahead talking quietly to each other while Raffin and Flore flirted like rabbits in heat. It was very annoying, especially since I was riding the same horse as Flore and so I couldn't get away.

I was jostled awake when I was almost pushed off my horse. "Well, that was the loveliest rude awakening I've had for a while."

"Wonderful, now get your sore backside off my horse before I removed you myself." Flore huffed crossing her arms. I blinked and noticed that the others were already moving toward the side of the road to make camp. Raffin took off into the forest to gather fire wood and I helped Flore gather the rest of the supplies off of the horses. Ceja and Kiana just sort of watched while we did everything. That was another annoying part of the journey. Apparently the princesses wouldn't be pitching in at all.

Flore was just rolling out some bed rolls when I heard something on the other side of the road. I whipped my head around to see but only caught a glimpse of something disappear off into the forest. I swallowed thickly. Darkness never did put me in the best fighting mood. But thankfully nothing came, even when I waited by the horses for an hour whilst the others ate dinner by the fire. Nothing came,so I hoped nothing would come. It was just passing through, got bored or had even more patience than me. I sighed and sat down on my own in front of the fire. I ate what little stew I could find from the leftovers and warmed them by the fire. Flore insisted that I would take the first watch, mainly because I slept on the horse and she was probably still pissed about that. Raffin agreed, probably to get into her good books, and so there I was, sitting with a dying fire with sleeping companions left, right and centre. The chill of the night was slightly off putting. I kept feeling like some kind of cold creature was crawling up my back like an ice snake. I also kept getting the strangest feeling as though we were being watched. I couldn't tell if it was by a man or a beast but I definitely felt it. I trusted my instincts so I kept an extra eye out, doing circles around the sleeping figures just in case. When it was my turn to sleep I couldn't. I offered for Raffin to go back to sleep because I thought it would be a waste if both of us were up half the night.

"Come on, Raffin!" I whispered harshly to Raffin's still stubborn form, "I'm not going back to sleep any time soon so just get some rest!"

Raffin sighed heavily and routed around in his bag. I smiled thinking I'd won before a bottle of red liquid was shoved roughly into my hands. "This will help you sleep." He informed me going back to his post. I relented seeing as I'd be asleep for Ceja, Kiana and Flore's watch. The ride tomorrow would be treacherous because we were riding through the mountains. Considering my expertise I'd need to be fully rested to be able to protect my party. I stared a little at the red liquid before downing it in one. I laid down on my bedroll and almost immediately after my head touched my pack I fell asleep.

I woke the day after before everyone else. Raffin was on watch still but he'd fallen asleep at some point. I sighed in annoyance; his carelessness could have gotten us killed. _I__'__ll __have __to __remind __him __of __that._ I thought walking over to him to shake him awake. I saw a small, black object poking out from his neck. I picked it out and my eyes widened. It was a poisoned dart. _Holy __mother __of __the __Gods_, I thought shaking the Prince by his shoulders. I checked his breathing and heartbeat; normal. Then I checked the rest of our party trying to shake them awake, they'd been poisoned too but they were all alive. It must have just been a powerful Sleeping Draught. I looked around the forest with suspicion. _What __should __I __do?_

I slowed my breathing because without realising it I'd become agitated and that was never a good state of mind to be in when expecting an eminent attack. I closed my eyes and focused on the sounds of the forest. Birds, wind in the canopy of leaves above, small animals rushing through the undergrowth trying to get away from… and then I heard it; the snapping of small twigs as crouched men approached. Judging by how many twigs were being broken I thought that maybe there were about five of them. I opened my eyes again but still saw no one. I frowned. I'd definitely heard something, where were they?

Yep, I definitely should have seen this coming. "Bandits." I muttered as not five but around ten bandits uncovered themselves from behind trees and bushes. I swallowed hard. They were walking toward me slowly, with large smug smiles on their faces. We were surrounded and the bandits would get to the others before they got to me. They'd use their lives to blackmail me.

"What do you want?" I called circling around my companions as they approached.

"I think we should discuss that later." One said the smile on his face growing, "once we take you to your new home."

I didn't like our odds, there were too many of them to fend off by myself. "Okay," I said calmly stopping and walking up to the one who'd spoken, "leave my friends and I'll come with you."

The man considered the request, "who are your friends, Archer?"

I almost laughed. _Archer? __Great, __so __they _are _here __for __me_, I thought bitterly. _Raffin __probably __knew __something __like __this __would __happen._

"Servants from my father. They were escorting me back home to the mountains." I said wincing and trying to look convincing.

The bandit leader looked over to them then grabbed my arm and pulled me closer. "Search them." He commanded the rest, "she could be lying."

I held my breath and waited for the inevitable. Flore probably had something with the Neen Fortress crest on it, which wouldn't look suspicious, but Raffin, Ceja and Kiana would probably have something from King Randa's castle which would give them away.

One of the bandits dropped what looked like a handkerchief with the Neen Fortress crest on it and called out, "this all looks good. What about you guys?"

A thug shoved Kiana's motionless body to one side and searched through her bag. He drew back up and shrugged, "nothing over here."

The other two searching Raffin and Ceja's things both looked up together. They looked like twins. "She's telling the truth." They said together.

The leader still seemed a little suspicious. "Are you sure? Those girls and that guy don't look like they've lifted a sponge between 'em."

The other bandits looked from each other, to me and then back to the leader, "there's nothing here, Crypt."

He reluctantly gave in. "Come on then, boys. Let's introduce Archer to her knew master."

"Excuse me?" I cried outraged, "I have no master!"

The bandit scoffed, his face splitting into a large deranged smile, "that's what you think."

My hands and feet were bound with thick, woven rope and the second _Crypt _was done with them he through me over his shoulder.

"Hey! You son of a bitch, put me down!" I yelled feeling very affronted at having this creep's hands on my thigh and getting higher.

"Not a chance, sweet cheeks." Crypt said squeezing my rear.

"Hey!" I cried out again. "Stop that!"

Crypt laughed and the others did too, "No chance, Princess."

After what seemed like hours of struggling against his back and pounding him with my bound fists, I gave up. The ground was changing with different shapes of leaves as we moved through the forest and I could only imagine what the trees looked like. It was getting brighter in the forest as well, which meant that noon was fast approaching. _They __should __be __waking __up __by __now_, I thought with a sigh, _what __will __they __be __thinking? __That __I __dumped __them __alone __in __a __forest? __No, __not __if __Flore __is __there. __She__'__ll __know __that __something __is __wrong._

I'd been kidnapped far too many times in the past few weeks. Didn't the Gods think I needed a break from this?

"The great Archer of Neen Fortress was a pretty easy catch, eh boss?" One of the goons called out while another was singing away without a care in the world.

"Oh, please!" I cried with a breathy laugh, "I could take all of you with my hands tied behind my back!"

Crypt grunted and threw me roughly to the floor. The leaves did little to stop my body colliding with the ground hard. "Come on then." He said untying my feet.

I blinked in surprise. If I'd known it would be that easy I would've done that in the beginning. I stood and Crypt untied my hands and tied them back up behind my back. I could've run but that would've taken all the fun out of beating their sorry arses back to wherever the hell they came from.

"You think you're so great, don't you Archer?" Crypt leered, "well I've got news for you; arrogance will get you killed."

I shrugged and jogged lightly on the spot waiting for his move, always let him have the first move. "There must be some reason people will pay bandits to get me. How much did you get, by the way?"

Crypt faltered, "None of your business, Bitch." He growled after a few moments of embarrassed silence.

I whistled, "Wow, that much, huh? I hadn't realised I was _that_ good. Thanks for the ego boost."

Crypt growled and lunged forward just as I kicked him hard in the stomach and sent him to his knees in front of me. A deafening scream bounced through the forest. I turned to the source of it and saw one of the bandits being mauled by an enormous, black furred bear. I unconsciously backed away from the beast, which was far too close for comfort, and tripped over Crypt's back as he was still on all fours.

Crypt turned to the bear a look of alarm crossing his face as the bear seemed to be done with tearing his companion to bits. The rest of the bandits had high tailed and fled in different direction which just left Crypt and I. My legs were still resting on his back and he threw them off roughly shoving me to the side. But he didn't run. He stood and drew his steel sword from its sheath and turned to face the bear.

I looked on in horror. Was this crazy guy really going to get himself killed for some coin? "Get out of here! Run!"

"No," he said simply, "the beast's too fast. The only chance I have is to fight, so shut up and sit there like a good girl."

Now I was feeling more anger than fear and as Crypt slashed the first blow at the bear I picked myself up and went to nearest bandit body, there were only two though. I tried desperately to get the dagger that was strapped to his thigh but it was stuck on the strap of his belt. Crypt took a fatal looking blow to the chest and collapsed on the floor. The bear sniffed Crypt, probably just to check that the threat had been neutralised then turned his attention to me. I quickly sat down and tried to tug the dagger from its sheath but the bear was approaching with incredible speed. My palms were getting sweaty with fear and the dagger kept slipping from my hands which only increased my fear. It was not looking good for me. Saliva dripping from the bear's hungry snout it pounded toward me. It was close, so close I could smell its earthy fur and the blood around its mouth and with one last effort I pulled the dagger from its sheath. Surprised and relieved I almost hesitated for too long. The bear rose up onto its hind legs ready to crush me under its paws and I quickly cut my bonds and rolled out of the way. The ground beside me shook when the weight of the bear landed where I had been moments before and the adrenaline pumping through me fuelled one last attempt at survival. I ran quickly to Crypt and took the sword from his limp hand. The bear was slightly disorientated and confused because I'd disappeared so I used that to my advantage. I threw the dagger I'd been holding into the bear's shoulder and it gave an enormous roar of pain and turned its grizzly head toward me. The intelligent animal glanced from the dagger to me and growled viciously. The bear gave another roar and charged toward me, almost frothing at the mouth with its insane rage. I had a plan though. Dodge. At the last possible second, dodge the bear's claws and jump onto its back and stab it in the eye. Good plan I hear you cry, I know. The leaves crunched beneath my feet as I tried to stay on my toes, waiting for the right moment. It was close now, very close. Just a little longer…

I jumped to the side just as the bear's massive paw lunged out toward me. I screamed in pain when its fierce claws tore through the muscle and sinew of my upper arm. Clutching my bleeding arm I ran to the nearest tree just as the bear turned toward me. It seemed to be either; very pleased with its work or; blood thirsty when it found out I could bleed. Heck, I hadn't even known if I could bleed, it had just… never happened before. So you can imagine how freaked out I was. I held onto my arm tightly willing myself not to look. I'd seen other's blood but it wasn't the same when the warm liquid was pouring down your own body. Unfortunately my sword holding arm was the one that had gotten hit which meant that I wouldn't be using that for a while, if ever. Feeling completely helpless and vulnerable I sunk to the floor against the tree and closed my eyes.

I could hear the bear's breath; its heavy paws beating the ground as it ran towards me. I prepared myself for the worst only to find that the worst never came. I never felt teeth around my neck or claws in my chest. I heard strange sounds of a struggle and the bear making weak grunting noises. I cracked open one eyelid. Suddenly my eyes widened in surprise and my mouth dropped open unconsciously.

Nikre stood wrestling the bear to the ground in front of me.

It was such a strange sight. Perhaps it was the blood loss but he looked really… heroic? I couldn't think of the right word. I gripped my arm tighter and my stomach churned unpleasantly when the bear made a certain fatal strike against his chest, Nikre, however, didn't seem fazed, his tunic from the Sunderan court was ripped where the claws had cut into it but his skin was completely unharmed. I let out a sigh of relief. I'd almost forgotten he had impenetrable skin. I found myself completely entranced by the way he fought the bear, almost cat-like in his movements even though he appeared to be more like the bear itself. He had his arms wrapped tightly around the bear's neck and his legs wrapped around its torso to make sure its paws didn't bat him off. The bear's movements were slowing but Nikre never let his grip loosen. When the bear stopped all movement completely he let go and bent over it to listen to its chest. Looking pleased with himself he turned his smouldering, mismatched gaze toward me. Trying not to look like I'd been at all impressed let alone fascinated I tried to take a look at my arm. I almost vomited. I turned my head as far away from it as possible and as a result I could only hear Nikre approach.

"What have you done now?" He said, asmile clear in his voice.

"What have _I _done?" I cried completely forgetting my arm, "I just got kidnapped and attack by a murderous bear! It's not my fault at all!" I tried to point at him but I winced when searing pain spread to my shoulder.

Nikre's smile turned concerned, "hold still for a moment." He swung a pack from his back and rooted around inside until he produced two cotton wrappings, some ointment looking liquid in a brown bottle and a cloth.

"Yes, okay, and trouble just finds you, I suppose." He said disbelieving as he poured some ointment onto the cloth. "Don't watch."

I winced again when he dabbed the cloth onto my scratches and I turned away looking for a distraction, "it does actually! Those bandits were hired to take me to… er… well I didn't really get his name. They just called him my 'Master'."

I saw Nikre's dark hair bob up and down as he nodded in my peripheral vision, "oh, alright then, not all your fault."

"No," I said triumphant in my argument. Then I remembered with a jolt of guilt, "I have to get back to the mission. Flore will be so worried and –"

"She isn't, don't worry. I met them on my way here and told them to carry on without you." He reassured me. This… didn't really reassure me.

"Oh," I said in disappointment.

Nikre chuckled, "oh sorry, would you rather have them come with me?"

I imagined Ceja's face when she saw I'd been beaten or, the more prominent vision was Flore, Raffin, Kiana, even Ceja, all of them lying bloody and broken on the ground. I winced again, "no, I wouldn't have. Thanks for telling them to go on."

"No problem." Nikre said with a small smile.

"Oh yeah," I said remembering something else vital that I'd forgotten, "and… um… thanks for, you know, saving me."

Nikre's smile widened into a large grin, "Don't worry about it."

"So – ouch!" I called trying to pull my arm away from him. He just sighed and yanked it back to him.

"Don't be a baby. It needs to be cleaned." He said dabbing my wound with a water-soaked cloth this time.

"So," I began again with a sigh of annoyance. Nikre chuckled at my attitude. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going back to Sunder."

"I did go back to Sunder." Nikre stated. Silence.

I scoffed, "and?"

He chuckled and pulled the wrappings around my wound tighter. I winced but it didn't hurt much. I hadn't even noticed him put it on. "King Murgon told me to seek out a nobleman who was rumoured to have sent some hired thugs out to catch you."

My mouth dropped open in disbelief. "_Murgon_ is helping _me_?"

Nikre shook his head, "Murgon is helping himself. He wants to be the middle man, to be the one to sell you off. He wants the money from selling you. He doesn't want any old person who comes along to take you without him getting something out of it."

"Oh," I said making sense of it now, "that's fair enough."

"Fair? I don't see how any of what I just said could possibly be _fair._" He snapped.

"Well," I said turning on the defensive, "he's greedy and ruthless and he did get me first, didn't he?"

Nikre scoffed and muttered, "No. I did."

I blushed and Nikre pretended not to have seen, he continued packing his satchel with the healing bits and bobs while I fumbled with the tree to try and get up one handed.

"I was just on my way to said nobleman's house when I heard all this commotion." Nikre continued.

"Oh, I see," I said quietly when Nikre threw his pack onto his broad, muscled shoulders. I frowned, "how do you think they knew where I was?"

Nikre shrugged and looked toward the canopy of leaves above, "It must have been leaked. Perhaps a friend told a friend who had a loose tongue. There's no way of knowing at this stage." He turned his head back toward me, "or it could have been someone who doesn't want you around."

I frowned at him stupidly, "who do you mean?"

He rolled his eyes, "think about it. It shouldn't be too difficult to figure out."

Nikre and his stupid hints, "no, you can't be serious. Ceja is a trusted member of the Council! She wouldn't do something like that… would she?"

Nikre shrugged again, "no one really knows what she's capable of and she's never appeared to hate anyone as much as she hates you."

I scoffed and cradled my arm closer to my chest, "well, thanks." I said sarcastically.

Nikre sighed, "It's the truth. She's only appeared to hate two people in her entire lifetime and it's you and Raffin."

"Raffin?" I said in surprise, "how can anyone hate him? He's so jolly and nice!"

Nikre frowned and grumbled his response, "yes, well, apparently she does."

"But I don't understand. How can she hate me, without even knowing me, and Raffin who's the nicest person ever?"

Nikre sighed again, "I don't know. All I know is that she's the only one with a solid reason to want you out."

"A solid reason? You mean stupid reason, don't you?" I said irritably trying to cross my arms and failing because of the pain.

Nikre crossed his arms just to taunt me and chuckled deep in his throat. "Well, she hates you. That's a solid enough reason to want to get rid of you, isn't it?"

"You are very annoying, you know." I snarled at his smiling face.

He seemed like he was just about to respond when a loud grown resounded around the trees around us. I brought my hands in front of me in a defensive stance and Nikre had spun around to the source of the noise fully ready to knock out the bear again… oh wait… he'd only knocked out the bear, hadn't he? What was with that? _I__'__ll __ask __him __about __it __later, __on __the __road, __that__'__ll __be __best_.

Crypt struggled, groggily to his feet with the help of a nearby tree and I approached him fully intent on punching him in his dirty face but Nikre stuck out a diamond hard arm and I winded myself almost running into it. Breathing heavily I tried to move his arm out of the way but he just wrapped it around my waist and pulled me behind him.

"Oh come on!" I cried, "I'm not a bloody damsel in distress! Let me at him!"

Crypt seemed startled by my shrill shout and spun around a little too fast. He groaned again and clutched his head sliding down the tree to sit on the floor.

"Shit, why is the world spinning?"

"You've lost a lot of blood." Nikre informed him. I stared at him in shock. He'd seemed really concerned about me only minutes before and now, in the face of my kidnapper, he's calm? Huh?

Crypt opened a bleary eye, "you." He tried to put force behind his voice but it came out as more of a sick rasp than a threatening exclamation.

"Hi," I said grumpily when Nikre moved beside the bandit leader to try and heal his wounds too. I moved over next to them slowly, sulking.

"Can't we just let him die?" I half-heartedly joked knowing he'd say no. Nikre's back muscles rippled temptingly as he cleaned the wound on Crypt's chest.

"No!" Nikre replied firmly turning to look at me through his thick dark fringe, his eyes pierced me and it almost hurt. "No."

"Sorry, only joking." I laughed awkwardly trying to diffuse the air which was thick with tension.

His eyes, they made me feel so ashamed even if it was only a joke. He made me feel if I'd killed him with my own hands. But he was in the wrong not me! So why was Nikre so shocked and disappointed with what I'd said? He kidnapped me first and… and touched me inappropriately!

"Ow! Not so hard there, big fella'!" Crypt called out suddenly startling me from my thoughts.

"He… he touched me inappropriately!" I exclaimed suddenly. I immediately felt stupid as both men turned to look at me with a mixture of surprise and amusement.

"I don't blame him." Nikre said chuckling and turning back to his business with the bandit though the muscles on his back seemed to have tensed up completely.

Crypt laughed, "Thanks mate. She gave me some trouble though. It was just a little squeeze." Nikre sputtered a little laugh (or at least, that's what I'd thought it was) and my face flamed red.

"Oh this is just ridiculous!" I cried, "You're meant to be honourable!"

Nikre finished up working on the bandit and he stood to regard me thoughtfully for a moment. "What makes you think I'm honourable at all? I'm the servant of a greedy ruthless King. What makes you think I have a conscience?"

I was really quite unnerved with how intently he seemed to want to know this answer so I answered with the first not quite so stupid thing that popped into my head, "I don't have reason to believe you're anything less."

Nikre nodded and helped Crypt to his feet, "I see." He seemed more thoughtful than before so I just rolled my eyes and turned to face Crypt, who was creeping away silently.

I caught his eyes and raised an eyebrow at him, "where do you think you're going?" I said stalking toward him. Nikre got there before me, damn him.

"Hey!" Crypt shouted when Nikre caught him with both arms, "Listen, I won't cause you any more trouble. I'll just be on my way and –"

"I don't think so," Nikre snarled, "you'll rot in jail for your crimes."

Surprised I turned to Nikre with wide eyes, "You were all friendly with him a moment ago! What were you just giving him false hope?"

"No," Nikre grinned from ear to ear. He reminded me of a Cheshire cat. "I wanted to see your reaction."

I blushed beet red realising just what I'd done. _It __doesn'__t __mean __anything, __right?_ He's way out of my age bracket to even _think_ of having a relationship with and – _wow, __he__'__s __got __a __nice __smile_ – whoa there girl! Get your head out of the gutter!

Meanwhile, Crypt was still begging to Nikre to let him go but Nikre stayed firm as a rock. He didn't seem like the type to be persuaded easily anyway. _Stubborn_. Nikre grabbed the rope that had once bound my hands and feet from the floor and tied his hands tightly with the other rope tied onto it like a leash. Nikre yanked Crypt forward until he was walking through the forest, fast. Crypt almost had to jog to keep up which meant, obviously, I was having an even worse time.

"Hey!" I called up to the strangely tall man, "hey, Nikre!"

Nikre stopped suddenly and turned to me which made me bash right into his chest which hardened as my body connected with his. Strange.

Slightly winded from the contact with his rock hard body, I had to catch my breath a little before I spoke, "So, what now?"

Nikre drew up his hood so his face was covered in shadow and smiled and Crypt looked a little worried as he watch Nikre carefully, "we get you to Estil. You've got a mission to complete." He yanked Crypt forward so he almost fell over, "and I've got a bandit to deliver to the Sunderan Court."

Crypt groaned and murmured under his breath one last thing, "wonderful. Stuck with two Graceling lunatics and going to prison. How much worse could this bloody day get?"


	7. Innocent Until Proven Guilty

**A/N- Hey Spazmatazz53 see how quick I am? It's because I love you. You are officially my favourite reviewer... because you are the only one to review on the last chapter! That's no sad... I mean it, it's not.**

** :D Happy reading!**

**This one is a lot longer and it's got more romantic goodness in it for hungry souls to enjoy :D yay bromance! I mean romance! uh... yeah...**

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Innocent Until Proven Guilty**

Nikre, being the cheap Knight in Shining Armour he was, hadn't brought any horses with him, which I for one was eternally grateful… Crypt on the other hand…

"Shit!" He cried again as Nikre yanked him over a small rock. "Would you please stop doing that? My feet can't take any more o' this abuse!"

I rolled my eyes, "oh, stop complaining." I growled behind.

"Why don't you stop complaining… you stupid… annoying… bitch…" he muttered disjointedly under his breath. Nikre gave him another hard yank and he stopped insulting me.

"So," I said with a slight sigh. We had been walking for almost a day. "You know back when you were… um… wrestling that bear, why didn't you kill it?"

Nikre sighed but for an entirely different reason to me. "Everything has a right to live, even him," he jerked his thumb behind us at Crypt who snorted in reply, "Animals protect themselves when they are threatened. And that's exactly what that bear was doing."

"But it tried to kill me!" I cried trying to justify my reasons and failing miserably, even to myself.

Nikre gave me a withering look and punched my arm lightly, but it still hurt. And as I rubbed my arm he continued, "And _you_ tried to kill _it_. It's still a bear, no matter what you might want to think, it couldn't distinguish you from the bandits. You were still a threat."

I tried to cross my arms again but the pain spread and I grunted in anger, "damn it! Okay, okay, I understand. I can't even sulk properly now." I huffed still trying to cross my arms without it hurting. Nikre laughed and even Crypt let something slip, it might have been a scoff though.

"Sorry I wanted you dead, Crypt." I called behind me.

Crypt chuckled behind us, "That's alright, darling, now could you let –"

"Oh, right, so you're on first name basis with the criminal now?" Nikre snapped irritably.

Startled I leaned away from him slightly just as the track we were on turned into what seemed like a very well used stone road. "I thought you'd like that. You were all for keeping everything alive a minute ago! What were you saying about everything 'has a right to live'?"

Nikre scoffed and stepped a little further away from me, "that doesn't mean you apologise. Never apologise to someone who'd just kidnapped you and taken advantage of you."

"Well, I wouldn't say I took advantage of her as such –"

"Well you don't have to be such a bastard about it! So I got my wires crossed somewhere in our conversation! That could've happened to anyone with the way you explain things!" I cried throwing my arms into the air in frustration and causing my injured arm to shoot pain straight to my shoulder and back to my wrist.

"Oh, I see, so how exactly am I bad at explaining things?" He asked feigning interest.

I scoffed again and this time completely ignored the pain in order to cross my arms in anger, "you're really cryptic and annoying!"

"Um… Nikre…"

"Cryptic and annoying?" Nikre said with an incredulous look on his face, "go on then, give me some examples of how utterly cryptic I am."

"Well, I…" I racked my brain for something to say and a smug smile blossomed on Nikre's face. God I was so angry I could hardly think straight.

"Archer, Archer I think –" Crypt began.

"NO!" I bellowed my anger from our argument fuelling my outburst. I spun around and pointed a finger at his chest menacingly. "MY NAME IS TIKKA!"

Nikre stood staring at something behind me and so was Crypt. He kept tugging lightly on the rope as if he was trying to get away. "What are you both looking –?"

I turned and in my shock almost bumped back into Crypt.

"Archer." Ceja said with a nod and a small smile even though she was about 500 yards away from us and we were covered by the shadows of the forest. Raffin looked grim and Kiana looked pale, like she was sick. There were around ten Estill guards standing around the group and they looked poised to attack. _I wonder if they think we're a threat._

I jogged over to them leaving Nikre and Crypt in the cover of the trees. "What – what's going on?" I asked nervously. "Where's Flore?"

Raffin rushed forward and took my hands, to my surprise, "Flore's fine. She is back at Thigpen's castle."

"Then what's wrong?" I asked getting an awful sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"It's Juniper," Raffin began looking even grimmer then before, "she's been taken."

I blinked in shock, "taken? Taken where?"

Raffin almost managed a small smile, "no, Tikka, she's been kidnapped. We don't know where she is."

The information settled in my brain and I tried to process why exactly the guards were there and why Ceja looked so smug. Then it made sense. And I stared directly at Ceja as I murmured quietly to Raffin, "they think I did it, don't they?" If anything Ceja's smile widened.

Raffin nodded, "they think you had something to do with it. Ceja… she…" Raffin winced and sighed.

"It's okay; I think I knew that anyway." I said running through things to do next. "Right."

I turned fully intent on finding Nikre and Crypt waiting in the shadows. _Oh how bitter disappointment tastes_. I sighed in frustration. The bastard had left me to fend off a prison sentence. _Great, thanks Nikre_.

I sighed in annoyance more at myself than anyone else. We didn't exactly get off to a great start and now he was just proving how dependable he really was. "Okay… um… shall we get going then?"

Raffin winced, "well… there is a bit of a problem with that. You see even though we try to exercise the belief innocent until proven guilty… you still have to be detained."

The Estillian guards approached us and I sighed dramatically. "Great. Kidnapped attacked by a bear and imprisoned in the same day." Raffin's face fell even more and now he looked a little sick. I patted him on the arm just as the guards were reaching for me, "it's alright, Prince Raffin. I'll sort this out. I promise."

Raffin didn't seem to brighten to that idea, "you were my responsibility and I –"

"No." I said firmly as the guards snapped shackles around my wrists, "no. I was never your responsibility. You were my responsibility and I protected you. I call that a result."

Raffin's face morphed into something akin to sad anger, "you shouldn't be so cheery."

"I can be whatever I want to be, Prince Raffin." I said firmly, "And I can do anything. You should now that."

Raffin frowned and I smiled optimistically at him. His eyes said 'what are you planning?' My eyes said 'never you mind.' Even though my heart was screaming at my annoying eyes, 'you don't even have a plan! You're screwed! Don't give Raffin false hope!' My heart replied with, 'too late!'

The guards pushed me forward and away from Raffin. Kiana let out a sob and ran to Raffin for a hug. Ceja watched her sister and the Prince with hate filled eyes and I watched her with curious ones. By the time Ceja realised I was looking at her it was too late. I smiled at her and her face went pale. I glanced back to Raffin and he nodded to me whilst rubbing Kiana's back reassuringly.

_So that's your deep dark secret_, I thought smirking at Ceja in a way that later on I'd hate myself for, _you're in love with Raffin_. Almost as if she'd read my mind her face went scarlet with fury and she stomped back toward the citadel walls before us.

Thigpen City was a… bright place. Despite the fact that every single citizen appeared to hate me it could have been quite pleasant. But as it was all the people did was spit at my feet and the children hurled rocks at me, which hurt… a lot. The guards didn't do anything to stop them so I just had to take it. I didn't retaliate even though my body was screaming at me to just yell a few insults but I knew, deep down that when I was released without charge they would apologize and everything would be fine. It had to be. I couldn't spend the rest of my life rotting in prison because of something I didn't do. I just couldn't.

The houses that lined the main street were sandstone, a beige colour and the windows were all bordered with bleached wood. The doors were all painted different colours and most of the paint was now peeling but no one seemed to care. The people were dressed in bland colours; beige, brown, yellow and a muddy orange colour were popular among the locals. Some of the more attractive people I saw wore burgundy or red but they were few and far between. This was the only thing I could do while I was being led up the street to Thigpen's castle; watch the citizens of Estill as they threw verbal abuse at me. The castle was about as bland as the rest of the buildings in the city. Not impressive by all counts and to be perfectly honest this city was loosing its appeal pretty quickly. I guess that's what being a criminal feels like.

The bleached wood double doors of the castle were opened for us and the beige marble flooring shone from the light of a dozen crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling of this great hall. In front of us lay a great marble staircase with a red carpet running along its length. The stair case looked like it went on forever. It was far too long and it was such a gentle slope that I thought the castle might not have many floors even though it looked really tall from the outside. There were two very large sections of the hall, beside the two sides of the stair case that held little waiting areas and large statues of a beautiful looking woman and some children kneeling before her. I stopped to admire the closest statue but was roughly pushed to the left immediately. Ceja and Kiana were leading the way into the left section where there was a golden looking door against the beige sandstone wall. We entered what appeared to be the throne room and I had to look around myself and blink in surprise. Normally, like in King Murgon's castle, the throne room would be the centre piece of the castle and would be either, up the ornate staircase or in the very centre farthest part of the castle allowing the subjects to admire the monarch's wealth. This was very strange indeed.

King Thigpen sat on a plain looking golden throne at the very end of the long room. The floor was the same beige marble, the walls the same sandstone and the statues and paintings were the same in here too but what was different were the large windows that lined three of the walls. There ran the whole length of the wall from floor to ceiling and they were approximately a half a meter wide and two meters tall each. There were five of them on the two walls to my right and left and on the far wall, where the King's throne sat, there were two either side of the throne. Each of the windows had the most beautifully intricate embroidery on the golden fabric of the curtains and I almost understood why Flore enjoyed it so much. If the end product was this phenomenal I'd do it too. Around the other parts of the large hall were small sitting rooms with chairs so wide three or four people could fit on one! Many people were there, perhaps they were there to attack me some more or maybe to find out my punishment so they could laugh.

I'd noticed earlier that everyone had gone quiet when we entered the room and my clumpy leather boots clomped loudly against the beautiful marble floors while the others glided silently around me. Ceja and Kiana almost looked like they were floating.

"Ceja," Thigpen called out loudly. "Kiana, you're back!" I brought my attention to Thigpen once again. I almost laughed but I knew that wouldn't be appropriate in this situation. Thigpen was a small man, he was so small I towered over him and I'm not the tallest woman in the world. He was round and portly and his beard was large, brown and curly. He wore red robes, though he wasn't particularly attractive and his brown curly hair fell to his waist. He had a foot stool that he had to step on when he got down from his thrown to approach Ceja and Kiana. Kiana almost picked him up and swung him about when she hugged him and Ceja just simply patted him on the back looking a little uncomfortable.

"My darlings, how was your journey?" he asked in a merry, deep voice. "I trust you're not too tired?"

"King Thigpen," Kiana said, endless patience in her voice, "we arrived this morning. You greeted us, remember?"

Thigpen frowned and his bushy eyes brows pulled over his eyes shrouding them from view, then suddenly they pinged back up his forehead and he smiled brightly at them, "Oh yes, my dear, you are right! How could I have forgotten something so great?" He boomed out a laugh and peeked around Kiana's waist to look at me within my party of guards. "And who, pray tell, is this dark beauty, darlings?"

Surely this funny little, jolly man won't sentence me to prison, will he? But Ceja was quick to remind him, "Thigpen, dear, she's the one who has done away with our sweet Juniper."

"Ceja!" Kiana scolded but it was too late.

Thigpen's face had grown a horrible shade of red in his anger and he scurried toward me with a reprimanding finger wagging in my direction. "You, young lady, have a lot of explaining to do! What have you done with my wife?"

I gave a small noise of surprise, "your wife?" I squeaked.

"You see, Lord King?" Ceja said in triumph, "she says nothing to deny the claim."

"NO!" I yelled, "No! I didn't kidnap Juniper! You have to believe me! I was being kidnapped at the time!"

Ceja laughed cold and bitter, "you really expect us to believe that, Traitor? I knew it from the beginning! All of your plans to destroy the Daylight Festival!"

"What? What are you talking about? What plans?" I cried in dismay.

Ceja smiled wide, "she is such an awful liar. Can you not see, Lord King?"

"That is quite enough, Ceja." Thigpen said with finality. "Please leave us." He called to the rest of the hall. The guards beside me left my sides and withdrew with the rest of the people in the hall including a worried looking Kiana and an angry Ceja.

"Prince Raffin if you would please stay I would be most grateful." The King said just as Raffin started to leave.

The golden door we'd come from slammed shut reverberating throughout the hall and I turned to King Thigpen with a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. "Er… King," I said awkwardly never having addressed a King I didn't want to get on the bad side of, "I didn't kidnap Juniper. I was sent here to protect her, I know. And I know I wasn't there to protect her when the kidnappers _did_ come but you have to believe me I didn't have anything to do with this."

King Thigpen looked thoughtful for a moment, "Believing you is something I don't have to do at all."

My stomach sank into the floor, "please, L-Lord King, I – I didn't –"

"King Thigpen," Raffin said interrupting me, thank the gods, "I truly believe she didn't do anything. When Kiana, Ceja, Flore and I awoke that morning it was strange. I felt sluggish, like I'd been drugged."

"How do you know that she wasn't the one who drugged you, Prince Raffin?" Thigpen asked his intelligent beady eyes twinkling in thought.

Raffin stuttered slightly, "she wouldn't have. There was no way she could have gotten hold of any Sleeping Draught's or drugs. The time between bringing her to the Middluns and leaving for Estill was short. She doesn't know any one within my father's city or Murgon City. She has no motive and Flore has told you many times now that they've wanted to attend the Daylight Saving Festival since they were young girls." Raffin sighed and clasped Thigpen's large hand with his own, "Lord King, Tikka did not kidnap Juniper."

"Are there any witnesses to this kidnapping?" Thigpen asked crossing his arms across his small chest.

Feeling as though I'd finally been saved I shouted in glee, "yes! Yes there were witnesses! Two! They –" I stopped suddenly. Raffin watched me hopefully and Thigpen regarded me with old, wise eyes. "They –" I felt the panic build in me again. Nikre had run. That was why he wasn't there when I'd turned around. If I told Thigpen that Nikre had saved me word would get to Murgon that Nikre had had me in his grasp and had let me go and then he'd have to explain why. The horrible image of Nikre being hanged filled my vision and I almost retched in disgust. The conversation from yesterday filtered through the fog in my brain, _'can we stop talking about my execution please? I find it a little disconcerting'_. Crypt was already going to rot in prison but if Nikre was killed because of some stupid thing I said I would never forgive myself.

"There were no witnesses. My mistake." Raffin stared at me with an open mouth but I sent him a quick 'don't say a word' glare and he turned his confused gaze back to the King.

Thigpen was frowning in thought, "Very well. You make a good argument, Prince Raffin." I sighed in relief and Raffin smiled happily. "However," Thigpen continued and my throat tightened, "Ceja is a trusted friend of my wife and I and I do not believe she would say what she did without good reason." Shit. "Therefore, Tikka Archer, you must earn your freedom. Find my wife; find the bastards who kidnapped her by the Solar Festival and you will be rewarded for your deed but if you fail," he paused with a sigh then straightened his small back and continued, "You will be executed for your crimes against Estill."

"Executed?" Raffin cried, "Lord King there hasn't been an execution in your kingdom since –"

"I know Raffin!" He bellowed. Raffin retreated back a step. "Do you understand these terms, Tikka Archer?"

Slightly in shock but also feeling quite good about myself for protecting Nikre I nodded. "Yes, Lord King." I said formally, finally getting the hang of addressing a royal.

"Prince Raffin," Thigpen snapped, "Show Archer to the guest quarter to the room on the far right hand corner with the window overlooking the lake." Thigpen glanced at my surprised face and sighed, "I don't expect you to find her, Tikka Archer. Enjoy the next few days." Thigpen turned back toward his throne and with a large sad sigh he clapped his hands and people filed back into the hall. Raffin took my arm and in my shock I let him lead me out into the grand entrance hall.

He looked angry, "who were they?" He almost shouted, "You said there were witnesses! Who were they?"

"Not here." I said quietly. Raffin huffed an annoyed sigh and almost ran up the staircase which was a bit of a journey is you ask me.

On every other step of the staircase there was a bleached wooden door against the pale sandstone which explained why the castle looked so big.

At the very top of the stair case were three doors. The door in front of us was golden with an equally golden sun with a topaz stone at its centre placed directly above it. That must be the King and Queen's quarters, I thought as we turned to the door on the left hand side of the surprisingly small corridor. This door was not golden but the same bleached wood that most of the other doors were made out of and there was a small metal dove placed on the wall above the door. This must've been the guest quarters. Raffin led me through the door and I was suddenly faced with a baby blue coloured wall. I blinked slightly then realised that the rest of the corridor led off to the right, in the same direction as the King and Queen's quarters were. There was a large piece of the wall that had no doors, probably because it was the Royal chambers, then the door began about two meters of wall in. Directly to our right as we walked was an enormous wall of windows that let in the light of the setting sun. _Sunset already?_ I thought just as we reached the end of the long corridor. Raffin opened the door to the farthest room on the right and held it for me as I entered. The door closed with a quiet click and I heard Raffin lock the door behind us.

The room was beautiful. The walls were all the same baby blue colour and all the furniture was a lovely slightly worn looking white. A four poster bed with pale blue silk sheets, pillow and drapes sat with the headboard against the right wall, there was a bed side table on both sides and lamps on each. Against the wall in front of us was a wardrobe, a silver and white framed standing mirror and a chest of drawers all of that same worn white wood. In the centre of the room lay a deep royal blue, plush looking rug with those same long chairs with cushions decorating it and a low table in the middle with a vase full of what looked like a mixture of bluebells and wood anemones. On the wall beside the door was a beautiful, wall-sized painting of the Daylight Festival. But the most fantastic part of the room had to be the large panelled glass double doors that lay against the far left hand wall, they were open and the white silk curtains were billowing into the room with the slight summer breeze. The balcony beyond looked to be made of ivory and I itched to go out onto it and see the view the King had spoken of.

"So," Raffin breathed, calmer now than he was in the entrance hall, "who were the witnesses you spoke of?"

I gnawed at my lip in agitation almost completely forgetting about the balcony. "Well, I haven't told you the whole story yet. Of how I was kidnapped, I mean."

Raffin nodded and sat down on one of the long chairs facing the window and I sat down next to him. "Tell me." Raffin said quietly as if talking to a frightened rabbit.

"Well, you know I got kidnapped by a group of bandits claiming they were taking me to my 'master'. I'd managed to convince them to leave you and the others because someone had planted evidence suggesting you were my servants." I smiled at him, "good call, by the way."

Raffin frowned in confusion, "I didn't do that."

My eyes narrowed, "you didn't?"

"No. I didn't." Raffin said in surprise. "Why would anyone do that? We were all sure that no one knew you were with us."

Realisation dawned and I sighed in frustration. "It was Ceja."

"What?"

"Ceja." I repeated trying to calm my agitated breathing. "She leaked the information that I was travelling to Estill. That's how the nobleman who'd wanted me knew where to send his hired thugs. Ceja fed him the information and got rid of anything that would give the rest of you away."

Raffin's face morphed into an expression of complete fury and I had to physically hold him down to stop him from jumping off of the long chair, "Prince Raffin, calm down. You're no good to me like this."

Raffin sighed and breathed deeply for a few seconds before coming back to his senses, "okay, I'm sorry. You're right. You need me calm."

"Right." I said smiling even though I was sure I really didn't need him at all. _It's the thought that counts, right?_

"Continue." He said placing his hands on his knees.

"Well, we didn't get far before the bear attacked –"

"What? A bear?" Raffin cried.

"Don't interrupt, Prince." I snapped getting impatient to finish this story.

"Right, sorry. It won't happen again."

"Yes, well, the bear attacked and killed two of the bandits. The leader, Crypt, faced the bear and fell as well. I attacked the bear after freeing myself of my bonds and I was wounded," I placed a hand on my healing arm briefly at the memory, "I thought I was dead but the bear never got to me... Nikre came and defeated it." I looked up to see Raffin's reaction to this news.

He looked shocked to start with and then relieved. "So, Tikka," He said with a small smile, "you're lucky to be alive I gather."

"Yes, very lucky. Lucky the nobleman must've boasted about his find and that Murgon heard about it."

Raffin nodded in understanding and leaned back against the chair cushions, "so, Nikre was your witness. That is why you couldn't tell him."

I shook my head, "not just him. The bandit leader, Crypt, survived his injuries and the last time I was with them Nikre was taking him back to Sunder to be tried in Murgon's court."

Raffin nodded thoughtfully again, "do you think there would be a way of getting this Crypt fellow to stand witness to this incident?"

I shrugged and slumped back into the cushions in defeat, "I doubt it. Him and Nikre are probably already in Sunder by now. They left when you came to meet me with the guards."

Raffin sighed and rubbed his eyes, "this is such a mess."

I nodded with a sigh of my own, "I know."

"I'm sorry to have dragged you into all of this, Tikka. If I'd known that this would have happened I would have just escorted you and your sister back to Neen Fortress as soon as possible."

"But you didn't know, so I don't blame you." I said with a small smile, "everything will be fine, Raffin. You'll see. I just have to find Juniper and the people who kidnapped her and then I'm free to leave."

Raffin's expression turned pained, "you forgot the time limit. You only have five days before the Daylight Festival. How will you make it in time?"

I shrugged again but smiled wider. "I don't quite know but if being in the Council has taught me anything it's that there's someone up there watching over me. So be sure to be prepared for the celebrations, Prince Raffin, because I will bring back the Queen of Estill and we will kill the bastards who did this."

Raffin left after some more chatting about their journey. He almost down right refused to be cheery in the face of my impending execution but I played the 'If I'm going to die I want everything to be normal' card and he gave in.

The light was receding rapidly from the room and I lit a few candles to light the twilight some more. The double glass doors were still open and my legs were aching to walk out onto the balcony to see the view. A rustling of the curtains brought my attention to the balcony and I turned away from the door Raffin had just left through and toward the noise.

"They think you kidnapped Juniper of Estill."

I gasped and clutched my heart in surprise. "You scared me half to death Nikre! What are you doing here?"

The silhouette of Nikre shrugged and backed out onto the balcony. "Come look at the view. He's given you a nice room."

I nodded and approached him. "Yes, I know. It's the nicest room I've ever been in."

My clumpy boots clip clopped against the ivory floor as I reached Nikre leaning on the ivory rails of the balcony.

The scenery was absolutely beautiful. The Lake that King Thigpen spoke of was situated off to the right side of the balcony and the sun was setting literally just behind the lake, it was mesmerising. The sun's light was hitting us as we were directly looking out across the lake. I could see the tables and chairs one wanting to have a garden party might use. And to the left side there were lush green tree tops as far as the eye could see. _I should like to go hunting in that forest someday,_ I thought leaning my elbows against the cool ivory.

"Yes, this is very nice indeed." Nikre said as we looked out across the landscape. "What have you done to deserve such a wonderful room, I wonder."

I hesitated, unsure of what his reaction might be. "Well, I have been tasked with finding King Thigpen's wife. I am very important after all."

"Of course," Nikre said not sounding surprised. "And what has the noble King Thigpen given to you as punishment for supposedly kidnapping his wife?"

I purposefully looked away from him to the setting sun, "if I don't get Juniper back I'll be facing a prison sentence. Probably."

Nikre sighed, "you're lying."

I stepped back to look at him, outraged, but perhaps a little too outraged to be believable. "I am not lying!" I cried for the first time looking at Nikre's face. He looked sad, but it was an old sadness, one that only came from experiencing something very upsetting.

"Yes you are." He said his pain clearly visible in his eyes.

I smiled widely, too fake. "Really I'm not! It'll be a prison sentence. A few years maximum until they find Juniper. Thigpen's really nice."

Nikre laughed dark and cold, "just stop it. You're insulting my intelligence." He snapped turning to lean against the rails and look out over the water.

I deflated immediately. "Sorry."

"You could've told Thigpen I was there." He said with a sigh.

"No I couldn't have." I said with finality coming to stand beside him and placed my hands together on the cool stone.

"No, you're right. You just wouldn't, would you? Because your too much of a bloody hero." He snapped turning back toward the doors to my room.

"What are you taking about? I'm not a hero." I said defensively.

He scoffed without turning around to look at me. This irritated me immensely. "No, you're not a hero but you bloody well like to act like one." He crossed his arms.

"I did it because no one can know you're with the Council. That would jeopardise you're position within Sunder." I cried throwing my arms in the air in frustration. Why couldn't he see I did it for him? For his wellbeing? Why was he so blind?

"That is not a reason." He snarled turning around slowly. His mismatched eyes were practically glowing with mad rage and he seemed to be doing everything he could not to lash out.

"Of course it is!" I shouted, "Who would willingly offer someone else's head on a platter to save their own? That's just barbaric!"

"Regardless," he growled, "you should've done. And I'm here to set it right. We are going down to King Thigpen's throne room and I am going to tell him what I saw."

"NO!" I screamed in panic, "No, you can't do that!"

Nikre laughed, "it is not your place to tell me what I can and can't do." He grabbed my arm pulled me toward the doors.

"No, stop! I won't do it!"

"You have no choice!" Nikre snarled pulling me through doors of the room.

In some strange moment of panic stricken madness I spun around and jumped into his arms. He stared into my eyes, which were now level with his, in surprise and his pupils grew large. I punched him in both eyes while he was distracted and he cried out in pain and I dropped to the floor. I ran out onto the balcony and pressed myself into the corner closest to the lake.

"No, I won't. And even if you tell them about it, I'll just deny it." I said crossing my arms firmly and perching myself on the corner of the balcony. There was a dull ache from my upper arm but I ignored it. It was healing fast. Whatever that ointment was, it was really good.

Nikre let out a great roar of frustration and walked quickly up to me. "Just do as I say! All this could be avoided if you just tell Thigpen the truth!"

"No." I said firmly. "No, I refuse to be the reason you're executed."

All Nikre's anger seemed to deflate out of him all at once. "I won't be executed just for proving your innocence." He said gently.

"I know that!" I snapped, "when Murgon finds out you've been helping me escape he'll have you hanged."

Nikre sighed and placed his large hands on either side of the ivory wall I was sitting on, trapping me. He hung his head down and closed his eyes. "There's no knowing that that will happen, Tikka."

I scoffed in frustration, "of course it will happen! He'd ask you why you let me go and then you'd have to explain everything!"

"I could say you escaped and were too fast for me." He murmured, his eyes still hidden from view.

"You know he wouldn't believe that." I said quietly realising I was winning this fight. "I don't think anyone could escape you and I definitely know that I couldn't. He'd get suspicious and then the game's over."

"This isn't a game." He quipped.

"Figure of speech." I snapped back.

He sighed. "I wish you were normal."

"And I wish you were less annoying but we can't have everything."

He let out a surprised laugh and straightened to look at me with a small smile on his face. "No, we can't have everything."

He looked out at the lake behind me and I sighed knowing that my conscience would make me tell him the truth. Why I really didn't tell Thigpen about him. "I didn't say anything because I realised that if you died because of me I would never forgive myself." I said feeling a little spark of pain at the image of his hanging still clear in my mind. Nikre had perked up and I could tell he was listening intently even if he was looking into the distance. "You're my friend, Nikre. I couldn't let you get hurt because of something I said."

I watched Nikre's face for his reaction to my words. To my surprise a warm smile spread across his face and he looked down at me. It was the kind of smile that warmed you inside and made you smile to, which I did. "That's very noble of you." He commented with a bow of his head.

"So, are you still going to talk to Thigpen?" I asked becoming a little worried.

His smile lost some of its warmth, "no. I'll stay and help you find Juniper."

I sighed with relief. "Good. Then we'll both be safe."

Nikre nodded, his smile slipping.

The sun had descended fully behind the cover of the horizon and the twilight was casting its haunted glow upon the balcony where we were.

Nikre looked to the horizon and puffed out his chest with a large sigh. "Right then." He said with a smile. "We should get you sleep if you want to be at your best for hunting down a lost Queen."

I nodded with a smile of my own. "Yes, that sounds good. It's been quite a day, hasn't it?"

"Yes, Tikka, and not one I want to repeat." He said turning toward the double glass doors.

"I'll bear that in mind next time I get kidnapped." I said with a chuckle.

We returned to the gorgeous room and I turned and closed the doors to the outside world.

"By the way," Nikre said while he rooted through the wardrobe to my left and as I went to admire the painting to my right. "Did you get my letter?"

"Your letter?" I asked slightly surprised as I gazed at the painting of a beautiful blond woman with bright green eyes.

"Oh, I see." He said hesitantly, "never mind. It was nothing."

"No, tell me. What letter?" I said with a smirking turning to look at him. He pretended to be extremely interested in whatever was in the wardrobe and began throwing clothes out onto the bed.

"It's nothing. Don't worry yourself about it." He mumbled into the wardrobe.

I chuckled, "whatever you say."

After all this talk of letters I felt something strange in my leather belt. Feeling really quite stupid for not finding it sooner I took it from the belt. I flipped it open and noticed that the ruffling of clothes stopped after Nikre heard the crumple of the paper.

_I'll come back for you._

_N_

I almost laughed. Almost. I was hyper aware of the fact that Nikre was barely breathing from the position of the wardrobe so I decided to try and diffuse the situation.

"That was very romantic, Nikre. Well done." I said with a chuckled as I threw the note onto the low table in the circle of the long chairs.

I glanced at Nikre to gauge his reaction and I was very pleased with the effect my words had. I saw a little dusting of pink across his cheekbones before his whole face disappeared from view as he continued to unpack the wardrobe's contents. "It wasn't meant to be." I heard him mutter.

I sauntered over to the bed with all of the clothes on it and stared at Nikre's back disapprovingly, "what in the gods names are you doing?"

Nikre turned around slightly to regard me. The blush was completely gone which almost made me believe I'd only dreamt it had been there. But I knew better, my keen eyes never deceived me. "Searching for some nightclothes. You can't be thinking about sleeping in _that._" He said gesturing to my dirty, bloody tunic and trousers.

I crossed my arms in defence. "Well, you can't really blame me for how dirty my clothes are! That's all that stupid bear's fault!"

Nikre chuckled, "of course." His gaze raked over my body and I felt strangely naked. "regardless, nightclothes are needed."

"Fine." I snapped rooting through the small pile of white and pale blue clothing he'd piled on the bed. Thinking back to the castle I had to assume that Juniper was the interior decorator of it. The whole of the castle was colour-compatible. Nothing was mismatched or out of place. Perhaps apart from Nikre who seemed to stand out like a sore thumb against the pale, delicate wood, walls and linen. His sun darkened skin and dark, almost black hair made him stand out even without the help of his bright eyes.

"Tikka,"

They really were quite extraordinary eyes. They were so mesmerising in their own way. Honey yellow and a deep scarlet that could have been burgundy.

"Tikka?"

They held so much power behind them. You could tell that just by glancing into them once. They portrayed danger and violence one minute and a vulnerability that could not be matched the next. He was completely unpredictable but his eyes told the story of his life as if it were laid out before me to read.

"Tikka!"

His shout brought me back to the present and I realised with growing dread that I had been staring into his eyes while I was thinking those things.

I could feel my face grow hot as the blood rushed to it making me place my hands over my cheeks and look down in embarrassment.

"Sorry! I didn't realise I was staring!" I said quickly averting my eyes toward the pile of clothes.

Nikre stood there, a little confounded, with a nightdress in one hand and a night shirt in the other.

"That's… alright." He said hesitantly.

Hands still attached firmly to my face I gestured to the nightdress with my elbow. "Is that for me then?"

Nikre snapped back to reality quickly. "Yes." He handed me the dress which meant I had to take my hand away from my face. I was not impressed.

"Why do you have your hands against your cheeks like that?" He asked carefully.

I sighed and took my hands away because the hotness from before had finally left. "No reason."

Nikre frowned a little more but then shrugged and decided it wasn't worth pondering. He took the night shirt and some pale blue linen trousers he'd found and walked out onto the balcony to change.

Meanwhile I was trying to get over that last awful mistake. _I'm being really stupid today!_

I undressed, threw my dirty clothes onto one of the long chairs and slipped on the silk nightdress. It was absolutely wonderful against my skin, so soft and smooth. I dug around in the bedside table nearest to me and found a hair brush, smooth and untouched. I jumped onto the lovely bed and, cross-legged, began to brush my hair. Facing the balcony doors I was able to have the best view of Nikre's entrance. As per usual he looked like a sculpted golden statue in his white cotton night shirt that hung open. Without realising it my hand had stopping brushing my hair and I was staring. Nikre, being cocky and annoying, was smirking as he closed the double doors and walked toward the bed. He'd obviously found that my staring was actually quite amusing because he wouldn't wipe that irritating smirk off his face.

He stood on the left hand side of the bed and pulled back the covers, his smirk never leaving his face.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked as I watched him warily.

He scoffed, "going to sleep, do you have a problem with that?"

"Yes, actually!" I cried standing quickly as he sat down on the bed to face me. "You can't sleep in the same bed with me!"

Nikre raised an eyebrow, "and why not? We've both had a tiring day, physically and emotionally. I deserve a warm bed just as much as you."

"But – but –" I spluttered, "It's indecent!"

Nikre blinked several times at me then his smile turned into a splitting grin and an earth shattering laugh pierced the calm of the room. I blushed horribly. He was laughing _at_ me! What a bastard! "Hey! Stop laughing at me!"

He shook his head still laughing as he drew back the covers further, "you really need to stop acting like such a Princess or no one will take you seriously."

Irritated and a little hurt I shoved the brush into the bedside drawer with a little more force than I'd perhaps wanted.

Nikre had stopped laughing and was frowning a little, "I've upset you."

I laughed coldly, "yes, you tend to do that a lot."

I threw myself under the covers after blowing out the candle beside my bed. The room was bathed in the silvery blue glow of the moon.

Silence fell.

I was finally drifting off into a disturbed sleep when I felt the soft, warm pressure of finger tips hesitantly touching my arm. "I'm sorry." Nikre whispered softly behind me. "I didn't mean to upset you like that. You can't help that you are accustomed to more… appropriate living conditions then right now."

Feeling ashamed for being so angry in the first place I rewarded his courage by turning to face him. I could just make out the outline of the left side of his face when the moonlight splashed across his cheekbones. "Apology accepted."

The corner of his lips quirked in a small smile and silence fell once again. This silence was heavy. I remembered the way he'd looked at me earlier on the balcony and decided to venture deeper into his soul than anyone had probably ever gone before. "I'm to be executed if I don't bring back Juniper." I whispered fully expecting him to blow up again. He'd known before now, of course, but the spoken admission might have made him more upset. It didn't.

His smile faded and his eyes narrowed wearily. "I know."

I nodded. Looking down into the covers between us trying to avoid his smouldering eyes which were as close as they'd been when I'd sprung my surprise attack earlier.

"But I won't let you be executed." I looked up into his firm gaze. He radiated a quiet confidence that made me a relax, I believed him. "Not now, not ever."

"You confuse me." I confessed cushioning my head under my hands. "What you say is so unpredictable. I don't know what to make of it."

Nikre smiled knowingly, "I'm a friend. That's all you need to be clear about."

I nodded, "I'm beginning to believe that, Nikre. How strange that we should be in this situation." I smiled a little but my eyes were itching from tiredness.

"Indeed." He breathed with a smile of his own.

Without warning I was assaulted with a wave of uncontrolled fondness. I wasn't prepared for it and almost let it show on my face. Nikre looked so innocent, it was painful. This man had been through so much. He deserved more than my friendship. And so, without thinking, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to the soft skin of his forehead. If Nikre reacted to the touch I didn't notice. His skin was warm under my lips and I felt such an onslaught of affection for him it was hard not to react.

I didn't linger to see his dazed expression when I turned back around to face the wall. I felt more than heard the breath leave him once I was turned over fully. I didn't regret what I had done. Nikre deserved to be shown affection toward him. He was such a good, kind man who had been thrown into such an impossible situation that it was practically impossible to break out of. The kiss was meant to show my affection. I was never good with words so the only possible way I'd be able to communicate such a thing would be through an act of affection, such as a kiss. It just so happened that that was the easiest available thing to do at the time otherwise I'd probably had hugged him or something. I wasn't worried about developing feelings for Nikre. No, that was not a worry. He was a friend, perhaps even a good friend, and I'd never jeopardise that. The kiss had been a show of friendly affection from one friend to another. Of course it had.

As I began to drift off I seemed to imagine hot breath against my neck and gentle fingers running through my hair. It was such a wonderful dream.

* * *

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